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City for working and learning
The employment academies provide tailored training to help people get jobs and help businesses with recruitment. An employment academy is a short, intensive training programme for a group of 15 people maximum. Academy participants must be Belfast residents.
An academy can include:
Additional criteria may apply for specific programmes. Academies have been delivered in these sectors:
Apply to an employment academy (link opens in a new window).
For information on Belfast Employment Academies, email economicdevelopment@belfastcity.gov.uk
The Business Services Employment Academy will equip you with the practical skills you need to get a job in Belfast’s growing professional and business sector. You’ll get support to develop skills and gain experience to move into open job roles with several employers across the city.
Job roles include business administration and operations, customer and client services, HR and finance.
Everyone who completes the academy will be guaranteed a job interview.
The academy is open to people who are currently unemployed or underemployed.
To apply, go to:
Our Upskilling Employment Academies are in childcare services and Health and Social Care. These academies are for people who work at entry level positions, are keen to get a better job but do not have the qualifications or experience to progress to a supervisory or management role within their industry.
To apply, you must have your employer's support to participate on the programme. Employers must confirm that opportunities for upskilling progression are available within their organisation.
Academy provision is delivered by online platforms. Upskilling qualifications are delivered weekly and monthly depending on the qualification you're undertaking. Programme duration ranges from nine to 12 months.
The Health and Social Care Upskilling Employment Academies are open to people living in the Belfast City Council area, who are employed and have the opportunity to gain a better job with their own employer.
To access a Level 3 qualification, you must confirm that you haven't already attained a qualification higher than Level 2 within the relevant field.
To access a Level 4 or 5 qualification, you must confirm that you haven't already attained a qualification higher than Level 3 within the relevant field.
Participants will be supported by an employability mentor for the duration of the programme (12 months for Level 3 and up to 15 months for Level 5).
To check your eligibility and apply, go to:
You can also contact us by email developmente@belfastcity.gov.uk or call 028 9027 0482.
We are currently recruiting for our Classroom Assistant Upskilling Academy which starts in October 2022.
The academy will run for nine months and offer a programme of workshops on topics including:
as well as one-to-one mentoring and input from guest speakers.
Participants will gain training, a qualification and workplace experience. You’ll be working towards a Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools 5329-31 (QCF). Each participant will be visited and observed by their assessor in the workplace a minimum of three times.
The programme of learning will be facilitated by various teaching methods to make sure that each participant’s learning needs are met. This will involve discussion, written activities and group work led by the tutor; as well as research and individual tasks.
Participants will also have the opportunity to engage in ICT tasks. Visual aids and other teaching resources will be used throughout the programme, including interactive whiteboards.
To apply, you must:
To apply, go to:
Our Construction Employment Academy is designed in partnership with construction employers and large-scale construction projects in Belfast, including the Translink Transport Hub.
This academy will provide training, the necessary certificates or CSR card, and hands-on experience in the construction sector as well as a guaranteed interview to move into work on construction projects.
Applicants selected for training will take part in the programme to give them the certificates and skills needed to begin work in the construction sector. The academy includes the CSR course, First Aid and manual handling training and onsite work experience.
The programme will also provide sector-specific support including:
Every participant that completes the employment academy will be guaranteed a job interview.
The academies are open to people living in the Belfast City Council area, currently unemployed or underemployed. This includes people who are on a current European Social Funded-programme.
To apply, contact Workforce Training by email cward@workforceonline.org or call 028 9024 7016.
Our Fibre Employment Academy is designed in partnership with fibre optic employers and fibre splicing training organisations in Belfast. It provides training, certificates, and hands-on experience in fibre splicing and general fibre optics work and enables Belfast residents to apply for fibre splicing roles.
Applicants selected for the academy will complete the training to give them the licences, tests and other skills needed to begin a career in fibre splicing. This includes a CSR course, fibre splicing training and exam, underground and overhead safety works and other onsite experience.
The academy also provides sector-specific support including:
Everyone who completes the Fibre Employment Academy will be guaranteed a job interview.
Our Fibre Employment Academies are open to people living in the Belfast City Council area who are currently out of work or underemployed. This includes people who are on a current European Social Funded-programme.
To apply, email danny@fibre.contractors or call 028 9050 1801. You can also use our online application form to express your interest:
Our Health and Social Care Employment Academies are designed in partnership with sectoral bodies and key employers from the Belfast region. The academies have already helped over 348 Belfast residents to get employment. Academy training is delivered online and face-to-face.
Our childcare, playwork and Health and Social Care Employment Academies aim to:
Our employment academies are demand-led and designed to meet employers' needs, while enabling participants to apply for vacant posts. All participants who complete the training are guaranteed a job interview.
The Health and Social Care Employment Academies are open to people living in the Belfast City Council area, currently unemployed or working fewer than 16 hours per week. This includes people who are on a current European Social Funded-programme.
Participants are invited to an informal interview to make sure they have the necessary qualities and values needed to work in the sector.
Successful participants attend a pre-academy session to make sure they have access to appropriate technology to enable them to attend. Participants will be informed of what they can expect throughout the academy.
Participants attend a five-day academy followed by aftercare support.
When successful participants begin employment, they will be supported by an employability mentor for six months. They follow a qualification pathway relevant to their job where applicable.
To check your eligibility and apply, go to:
You can also contact us by email developmente@BelfastCity.gov.uk or call 028 9027 0482
Our Retrofit Employment Academy is designed in partnership with the Retrofit Academy CIC (link opens in new window).
This academy will give you qualifications needed to make buildings more thermal-efficient and sustainable. This can help reduce carbon emissions and improve ventilation and damp problems.
Applicants selected will complete training to give them the qualifications and skills needed to understand and work in the green economy. Qualifications include:
There are specific entry requirements for each qualification. When you register for this academy, we will contact you about the qualifications you are eligible to take.
To apply, go to Apply to an employment academy (link opens in a new window). For more information on this academy, contact Workforce Training Services by email dearley@workforceonline.org
Funding for these free courses is from the UK Government under the Community Renewal Fund and the Department for Communities through the Belfast Labour Market Partnership.
This academy (currently 16 weeks in duration) will provide you with the fundamental skills you need for a career in the technology sector, including software development, product management and employability through classroom and on-the-job learning.
Upon successful completion, you’ll be invited for a job interview with a recruiting employer, providing you with a clear career pathway to working in tech.
People with tech skills are in demand: the UK’s leading companies are increasingly using technology to manage their activities, market their products and communicate with their customers.
To apply, you must:
To apply, go to:
You can also contact us by email developmente@belfastcity.gov.uk
Our Transport Employment Academy is a training programme in partnership with the Road Haulage Association and transport employers in Belfast. This is the fourth year of the academy. Over 80 per cent of previous participants found employment as drivers.
We are accepting applications to our:
People selected for training will take part in the programme to give them the licences, tests and other skills needed to begin a career in transport, including theory tests and practical tests for HGV and LGV.
The programme will also provide sector-specific support including:
People who complete the employment academy will be guaranteed a job interview or the support needed to become self-employed.
Transport Employment Academies are open to people living in the Belfast City Council area, currently out of work or underemployed. This includes people on a current European Social Funded-programme. Applicants for these academies must hold a full UK car driver’s licence for at least two years and have no more than three current penalty points.
To apply, contact Workforce Training by email cward@workforceonline.org or call 028 9024 7016.
Belfast Labour Market Partnership may fund some of these academies.
Delivery agents
Belfast Works (Lemis+ Partnership) including Ashton Community Trust, GEMS NI, East Belfast Mission, Job Assist Centre West Belfast and Job Assist Centre Greater Shankill.*
This programme is a Belfast City-wide project, which seeks to address the issue of long-term unemployment targeting those most removed from the job market. It is a participant-centered programme offering links to real jobs.
Contact details
Email: belfastworks@ashtoncentre.com
Open to
Anyone over 16 and not currently working (or working less than 16hrs per week)
Qualifications
| Accredited qualifications | Non-accredited qualifications |
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Delivery agent
Workforce Training*
Path to Employment engages with, motivates and trains unemployed or economically inactive individuals, equipping them with transferable skills to secure permanent employment.
Contact details
Call Don on 028 9074 7676 or email dearley@workforceonline.org
Open to
Anyone who is currently out of work and over 18
Qualifications
| Accredited qualifications | Non-accredited qualifications |
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Delivery agent
Springboard Opportunities*
JobWorks+ is an employability programme aimed to meet the needs of young people who are not in education, employment or training.
Contact details
Call John on 028 90315111 or email johnhamilton@springboard-opps.org
Open to
Young people aged 16-24 years who are not in education, employment or training
| Accredited qualifications | Non-accredited qualifications |
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Delivery agent: USEL
USEL provides a wide range of employment programmes across Northern Ireland to assist and support people with disabilities or health related conditions into and within employment.
Contact details
Call Mary on 028 9035 6600 or email at mmccann@usel.co.uk
Open to
People with disabilities who are out of work.
| Accredited qualifications | Non-accredited qualifications |
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Delivery agent: Specialisterne
Specialisterne NI is a social enterprise which support autistic people reduce barriers to employment within their communities.
Contact details
Call Sharon on 028 9073 9601 or email sharond@specialisterne.com
Open to
Support participants who are on the autistic spectrum and out of work.
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