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Farry encourages Steps to Work in South and East Belfast

11 January 2012

Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry today visited Bryson FutureSkills (the new name for North City Training) at their Holywood Road premises in Belfast.

Bryson FutureSkills has recently been awarded the contract to deliver Steps to Work in South and East Belfast.  Steps to Work is the Department for Employment and Learning’s main adult return to work programme.  

Congratulating Bryson FutureSkills on their success in being awarded the contract to deliver Steps to Work, Minister Farry said: “Steps to Work is an important employment programme which to date has helped over 12,000 participants find work in Northern Ireland.  It helps address the very real difficulties faced by those who are out of work by helping to improve their prospects of gaining and sustaining employment.

“Bryson FutureSkills has made a successful start in implementing the Steps to Work programme in South and East Belfast. They have engaged successfully with local employers to develop tailored provision, within the programme, in line with both employers’ and participants’ needs.  Bryson FutureSkills is to be congratulated on introducing innovative and imaginative approaches in order to help people into employment and I wish them continued success.”

Liam McNeill, Director of Bryson FutureSkills, said: “We are delighted to have won the contract to operate and manage the Steps to Work programme in South and East Belfast.  We are now the largest provider of this programme across the city, helping over 6,000 people each year to enhance their employment skills.  We firmly believe in improving people’s skills and supporting them to find employment, particularly in this current economic climate.  This programme is vital in assisting the unemployed to gain new skills and real work experience with employers leading to employment.  We believe our strength lies in our ability to deliver training in an innovative and flexible way which meets individual needs.”

John McMullan, Chief Executive of Bryson Charitable Group, said: “As a social enterprise Bryson are dedicated to tackling key social issues such as unemployment and in particular youth unemployment. This contract endorses our social enterprise model and demonstrates that it is delivering real impact, value for money and growth in a time of increased economic pressure in Northern Ireland.”

Dr Farry met the Chief Executive (John McMullan), the Chair (Geri Cameron) and Director (Liam McNeill) of Bryson FutureSkills and was given a tour of the new premises before meeting staff and hearing at first hand of the range of assistance available to those seeking work.

Notes to editors:

  1. Bryson FutureSkills (previously known as North City Training) is the Strategic Business Unit within Bryson Charitable Group responsible for the provision of training, employment and learning programmes for school leavers, long term unemployed and the economically inactive within the Greater Belfast and Newtownabbey areas. The organisation was established in August 1989 and it has ten locations within the Greater Belfast and Newtownabbey areas and employs 71 people.
  2. Photographs from the event are available by calling the Department for Employment and Learning Communication Branch on 028 9025 7793 or at http://www.flickr.com/photos/niexecutive/collections/ external link
  3. All media queries should be directed to the Department for Employment and Learning Communications Branch on 028 9025 7793.  Out of hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.