To ask the Minister for the Economy what process is used to ensure Jobs and Benefits Offices are made aware of employment opportunities in new or developing industries and the relevant training available to help people to access these opportunities.

Co-operation between my Department and the Department for Communities (DfC) has been ongoing to ensure job opportunities are highlighted as effectively as possible throughout the Jobs and Benefits Office (JBO) network. A regular meeting is held between staff from my skills, economic and analytical teams, and their counterparts from DfC with responsibility for the JBO, tasked with looking how we can improve our offer and provide a more streamlined approach for individuals.

My Department’s Careers Service works closely with DfC Employer Advisers and Work Coaches, and many Careers advisers are located in Jobs and Benefits Offices. Careers advisers provide impartial advice and guidance to clients of all ages, to help them make informed decisions about their future career paths, including employment opportunities in new and developing sectors and associated training opportunities. My Department also shares detailed economic and jobs data with DfC, highlighting the areas of opportunity, broken down to a regional level.

Each DfC Jobs and Benefits Office works closely with local employers to ensure that job opportunities, including those in new or developing industries, are discussed with people seeking employment. JBO Work Coaches will deliver a tailored response depending on the person, their skills and experience, and will direct them towards relevant training as needed to access these opportunities.

In addition to the training support available to people applying for these developing industry roles, the Department for Communities has both central and local employer engagement staff who work directly with employers to identify employment opportunities, support their promotion via the Department's free vacancy advertising service JobCentre Online, and highlight opportunities to staff within Jobs and Benefits Offices on a daily basis. These teams currently have collaborative relationships with both Department for the Economy and InvestNI, and in line with both Departments’ Covid response, my Department is providing DfC with regular data and analysis, including online job postings by sector. These collaborative linkages will be strengthened to ensure close working.

As part of the promotion of our Assured Skills academies, contact is made by Assured Skills with the Department for Communities, Universal Credit operations team, who will disseminate the promoted opportunity to all Jobs and Benefit offices (JBO’s). For those who are successful in their application onto an academy, training for in demand skills is provided through the FE/HE sector.

Prior to any opportunity being advertised the Bridge to Employment (BtE) team notify all JBO’s of the opportunity. More recently the team have visited Job and Benefit Offices close to where the participating company/ies are situated to inform staff of the opportunities available and to promote the BtE programme.