06 Oct 2023
InnovateUs & Skills Focus
InnovateUs and Skills Focus are skills development programmes funded by the Department for the Economy and delivered across Northern Ireland by the six Further Education (FE) colleges.
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InnovateUs
The focus of InnovateUs is to enable small businesses, with fewer than 50 employees, to acquire the skills necessary to engage in innovation activities. By gaining these skills, small businesses can then undertake additional forms of innovation, which will contribute to growth and development.
Skills Focus
The aim of Skills Focus is to provide tailored skills provision to small to medium sized enterprises with fewer than 250 employees to help meet business needs and increase the skills levels of the existing workforce to level 2 and above qualifications.
Benefits:
- A tailored training solution designed to meet the needs of your business
- Flexible training delivery, either in your workplace or at the college
- The opportunity to aquire accredited qualifications
- A more productive, skilled workforce
- Increased innovation and growth within your business
How it works
A college representative will initially meet with your company to:
- establish what innovation activity or training activity your business wishes to undertake
- develop and deliver a bespoke training solution to address your identified skills deficit.
The InnovateUs and Skills Focus Programmes have been designed with the needs of the small to medium sized business in mind and as such offer flexible training solutions in terms of times, class size and also the location of delivery, which can take place within your workplace, online, or at the college.
Who can apply?
InnovateUs – Employers and businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
Skills Focus – Employers and businesses with fewer than 250 employees.
How do I apply?
Contact your local Further Education college for more details (see contact details below).
Employer Engagement Team College Contacts
Belfast Metropolitan College
Springvale Campus
398 Springfield Road
Belfast
BT12 7DU
T: 028 9026 5069
E: businessdevelopment@belfastmet.ac.uk
W: www.belfastmet.ac.uk/support-for-business/
Northern Regional College
Northern Regional College
Newtownabbey Campus
400 Shore Road
Co Antrim
BT37 9RS
T: 028 9085 5000
E: business.engagement@nrc.ac.uk
W: www.nrc.ac.uk/businesses/lets-do-business
North West Regional College
Business Support Centre
Northland Building
Strand Road
Londonderry
BT48 7AL
T: 028 7127 6170
E: businesssupport@nwrc.ac.uk
W: www.nwrc.ac.uk/bsc
South Eastern Regional College
South Eastern Regional College
Ballynahinch Campus
3 Church Road
Ballynahinch
County Down
BT24 8LP
T: 078 2534 8467
E: dquinn@serc.ac.uk
W: www.serc.ac.uk/business-services
Southern Regional College
Business Support Centre
Greenshoots
SRC Greenbank Campus
Ballinacraig Way
Newry
Co. Down
BT34 2QX
T: 028 3025 9664 or 028 3839 7778
E: betterbusiness@src.ac.uk
W: www.src.ac.uk/business-support/
South West College
InnoTech Centre
Burn Road
Cookstown
BT80 8DN
T: 028 8225 5223
E: innotechcentre@swc.ac.uk
W: www.theinnotechcentre.com