Skip the NI Direct Bar

Farry launches Steps to Work programme in North West

14 September 2011

Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry today launched his Department’s main adult return to work programme, Steps to Work, in Londonderry.

North West Regional College have been awarded the contract to deliver the Steps to Work programme in the Foyle area following their successful bid. The programme aims to assist unemployed and economically inactive people find and sustain employment in a flexible, personalised and supportive manner.

At the launch in Da Vinci’s Hotel, Derry, the Minister said: “I welcome the roll-out of my Department’s flagship programme in the North West.  Steps to Work is an important and successful employment programme which to date has helped over 8,500 people find work in Northern Ireland.  It helps address the very real difficulties faced by many of those who are out of work by helping to improve their prospects of gaining and sustaining employment.

“Steps to Work aligns itself with my Department’s skills strategy to help our customers develop skills which are needed by local employers. Steps to Work has an important role to play in addressing essential skills needs, providing short courses to learn new skills or offering work experience to develop and build on these skills.”

The Minister continued: “It is particularly important that a partnership approach is taken with employers. I encourage employers across all sectors - private, public, community and voluntary - to become actively involved in the Steps to Work programme by offering quality work experience placement opportunities.”

“These placements enable those without work to maintain existing skills or develop new ones so that they are in a position to apply for emerging job opportunities.”  

Seamus Murphy, Chief Executive and Principal, North West Regional College, said: “We are delighted to be the lead contractor for the delivery of the Steps to Work programme for the Foyle area. The primary objective for the programme is to deliver a personalised service to meet individual needs, which in turn will help people move into and remain in employment. This ‘into work’ objective will remain paramount in all our interactions with the programme participants.”

Notes to editors:

  1. Steps to Work (StW) is the Department for Employment and Learning’s main adult return to work programme. It was introduced in September 2008 and subsumed the former New Deal programmes. Its aim is to assist people who are unemployed or economically inactive to find and sustain employment. Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimants aged 18 to 24 who are unemployed for six months or more and those aged 25 or over unemployed for 18 months are required to participate in the programme.
  2. Steps to Work has opened up the Department’s provision to a much wider client group, in particular the economically inactive (Incapacity Benefit/Employment & Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, customers in receipt of other benefits and other inactive customers who are not in receipt of benefits).
  3. Photographs from the event are available by calling the Department for Employment and Learning Communication Branch on 028 9025 7466.  
  4. All Media queries should be directed to the Department for Employment and Learning Communication Branch on 028 9025 7466.  Out of hours please contact the duty press officer via paper number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.