Highly attractive salaries and conditions.
An unprecedented range of employment opportunities both within and outside N Ireland.
Excellent career progression opportunities.
The IT sector is forecast to grow considerably in the next 5 -10 years and beyond so there will be lots of jobs in the future.
A wide range of pathways to access a career in IT currently available including fully funded Higher Level Apprenticeships.
A fast paced and exciting environment which offers experience of a range of industries and markets.
A realistic opportunity for your son/daughter to put their skills and qualifications to use as part of a dynamic global industry.
What can they expect to earn in this industry:
Higher than average N.I salary
Sector grew in last 5 years
£23,740
£36,131
Average salary in Northern Ireland
Average salary for a programmer
Select the category which is suitable to you to find out more information on education and opportunities in IT.
Choosing GSCEs –
Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAS) offer on-the-job training and off-the-job learning at higher levels, including Foundation Degrees (Level 4-5), Honours Degrees (Level 6), and post-graduate awards (Level 7-8).
An apprenticeship can give young people the training and qualifications they need to help them get ahead in your chosen career. Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeships and the qualifications for each are set out in what is known as a framework.
By taking part in a Higher Level Apprenticeship, young people can gain the skills that employers need and that are relevant to the local economy, therefore improving their prospects of good earnings and sustained employment.
Other benefits include:
Apprenticeships are currently available at Level 2 and/ or Level 3, as well as Higher Level Apprenticeships from Level 4 upwards.
Level 2 is the first level and the one that most new apprentices choose.
Young people can either progress from Level 2 to Level 3 or go straight in at Level 3, depending on their ability and the qualifications they already have.
It usually takes up to two years to complete one level and up to four years to finish the two levels depending on their complexity and ability.
Play VideoGraduate employment from IT and non IT related Degrees.
The Assured Skills programme is a joint programme between the Department for the Economy (DfE) Northern Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland. It has been in existence since 2010/11 and since then, has promoted a total of 5,371 jobs. Once all jobs have been realised it will create an additional £141m into the Northern Ireland economy.
The Assured Skills program seeks to assure potential investors, and existing employers considering expansion, that the skills they need to support a growing business can be found in Northern Ireland. It does this by employing all of DfE’s responsibilities for the higher and further education sectors and the Department’s skills and training programmes.
Under the Assured Skills “Academy Model”, where a company or a consortium of companies have an identified skills need, DfE will consider developing a bespoke short-term training intervention to meet that need.
This typically involves an eight to ten week bespoke pre-employment training programme delivered by a local college or university. The intervention is designed to lower the recruitment risk for companies by providing candidates trained with the exact skills for the opportunities that are available.
The Academy Model is flexible and versatile, and has been used to help companies recruit new staff in areas such as
If you are unemployed, under-employed, a school leaver, a graduate or have experience and would like to change direction in your career, then the innovative Academy Model may be what you are looking for. The Academy Model will support you into employment by providing the skills that expanding companies want.
The vast majority of Academy programmes have been aimed at providing graduate level opportunities for unemployed graduates.
Your existing qualifications are important but, whatever your vocational area, the companies the Department work with want employees with the drive and determination to succeed, and a positive attitude to take on new challenges.
The Academies have an 90 per cent success rate of participants progressing into full time employment.
Previous participants continue to recommend Assured Skills Academies as great opportunities to develop skills and start new careers.
Candidates’ overview video
Play VideoCurrent academies are advertised in local newspapers and online resources including jobcentreonline, nidirect, nijobs, recruitni and social media.
For more information see the video below or click the link the Department of Economy Assured Skills:
https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/articles/assured-skills-programme
Play Video