Employers and students gaining from college programmes
Flagship programmes led by South West College and Southern Regional College are helping to give businesses a competitive edge and boost work-related learning, according to a new study.
The ‘Innovation Fund Employer Support Programme’ evaluation report, undertaken by the Education and Training Inspectorate, examined the performance of three programmes funded by the Department for Employment.
It found that the InnoTech Centre and Carbon Zero NI, both operated by South West College, and Southern Regional College’s Open Source Software Solution Centre are enhancing “regional knowledge and skills in key STEM areas” and “offer advantages to the NI economy, in supporting local enterprise and in attracting foreign direct investment”.
Malachy McAleer, Director of South West College, welcomed the report and said both the InnoTech and Carbon Zero NI programmes were entwined with the college’s forward plans.
“This is a powerful endorsement of these pioneering programmes and the vision of the teams leading them. The InnoTech Centre and Carbon Zero NI are examples of how the colleges are proactively developing smart approaches to establish a qualified and trained pool of talent and enable local businesses to gain through innovation.
“We are committed to delivering programmes that bring meaningful long term support. We recognise that we have an important role to play in reversing economic decline and powering a new period of growth.”
Since opening in 2009, the InnoTech Centre has helped to advance the ideas of more than 200 firms of all sizes across Northern Ireland, taking them towards commercial gain through a range of specialist services including industry-linked R&D, product development, design prototyping, materials testing and bespoke training.
InnoTech Centre Research Lecturer, Jill Cush said:
“Working in partnership with local industry, we will make sure that firms can crystallise their ideas effectively by capitalising on our technology, skills and staff. By making the most of the area’s talent, skills and engineering ability the Centre is playing its part in accelerating business growth and bolstering confidence in a region well-known for industrial innovation.”
Launched in 2010, the Carbon Zero NI programme is designed to build capacity to develop sustainable technologies, products, processes and services through the delivery of high quality R&D, knowledge creation and workforce preparation.
Led by Southern Regional College, the Open Software Solution Centre works to develop the skills base of local workforce and applications to improve the competitiveness of SMEs and micro-businesses.
Committed to enhancing local employment opportunities, South West College also revealed details of an innovative internship programme that is offering paid employment and valuable experience for college-leavers.
More than 12 interns will gain the opportunity to work for a year with the college’s team of experts in a number of specialist areas including PR and marketing, finance and accounting, estates and network administration.
