To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail (i) any measures being taken to enhance access to training and apprenticeship opportunities in rural areas; and (ii) how her Department is engaging with local rural businesses to enhance these opportunities.

My Department is committed to ensuring that training and apprenticeship opportunities are accessible across all of the North. The ApprenticeshipsNI and Higher Level Apprenticeship programmes, which fund the off-the-job training element of an apprenticeship, are demand-led and provide a wide range of opportunities for people of all ages. Most recent published statistics indicate that rural areas such as West Tyrone, Fermanagh and South Tyrone and Newry and Mourne have some of the highest apprenticeship participation rates across the North.

Apprentices and employers are supported by a strong regional network of training providers that includes the six Further Education (FE) colleges, contracted private training organisations and the three local universities, providing access to the pathways and skills needed in rural areas.

In addition, the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) also plays a significant role in delivering apprenticeship training relevant to rural industries.

The FE colleges are also involved in the delivery of the Traineeship programme, with support for work-based learning provided by local employers, and the Skills for Life and Work programme, which also benefits from delivery by some private training organisations across the North.

A network of Sectoral Partnerships brings employers, qualification experts and policy advisors together with the aim of ensuring that apprenticeship and traineeship qualifications meet the needs of our wide range of industries.

Promotion of training and apprenticeship opportunities is not regional specific. My Department runs a suite of advertising campaigns which raise awareness of apprenticeships and traineeships. My Department also facilitates the annual Apprenticeship Week which, in February 2025, consisted of over 60 public events being held across the North.