To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the proactive measures that will be taken by his Department to develop and deliver skills and jobs required to deliver the Executive's agreed Housing Supply Strategy.

My department delivers a range of training interventions to support the construction sector. This includes the ApprenticeshipsNI programme which offers vocational qualifications in a range of trade occupations including electrical, plumbing and construction. In addition, Higher Level Apprenticeships offer qualifications at Level 4 and above in the areas of Construction, Planning, Architecture and the Built Environment.

A new Skill Up programme is available as part of my Departments Skills Agenda. The programme has 50 free courses related to Construction and Green Skills. These accredited courses range from Level 2 to Level 7 and are available through the six Further Education Colleges, the Open University, Queens University and the University of Ulster.