Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA joined apprentices, employers and educators for a roundtable discussion on growing apprenticeships for economy and society.
The event was organised by Workplus as part of the Software for All project, which is run in partnership with Software NI, and funded by DfE through the Apprenticeship Inclusion Challenge Fund.
Software For All aims to inform and inspire people about software roles, with a particular focus on females, as well as create more apprenticeship opportunities in the software sector.
The roundtable discussion addressed the opportunities as well as the challenges existing in the apprenticeship space.
Included in the roundtable discussion was Rachel Chapman, who found her apprenticeship with Allsop through the Software for All initiative. She said, “My apprenticeship is giving me such a rounded experience. The Software for All project enabled me to find my apprenticeship with Allsop. It has been a fantastic experience so far – I’m Allsop’s first early careers apprentice and I’d love to see more people have these opportunities in software. I think blending work and education is such a great way of launching a career in software.”
Minister Archibald praised the collaborative effort and commitment shown by everyone involved in the project and said: “The Apprenticeship Inclusion Challenge Fund was created to support innovative projects like this, to help increase apprenticeship uptake among women, people with disabilities, and those from disadvantaged areas.
“By partnering with local ICT employers, Workplus and Software NI are opening new pathways for women and girls into apprenticeships and helping make our workforce more inclusive, dynamic and representative.”
Workplus has developed bespoke software for early talent recruitment and specialises in creating collaborative and coordinated apprenticeship recruitment campaigns.
Richard Kirk, CEO of Workplus, said, “Rachel personifies the purpose of Software for All: creating opportunities in priority sectors and helping more employers engage in the system. Coordination is a key part of this project, with the Workplus platform enabling easier connection and applications. We know how beneficial apprenticeships are to both individuals and employers, but we also know how important the coordination piece is in making this space easier to navigate for everyone.”
The software industry in Northern Ireland contributes £1.7 billion annually in GVA, employing around 23,000 people in over 2,000 businesses. Software NI represents the NI Software Industry, aiming to accelerate and double it in size by 2035.
Neil Hutcheson, CEO of Software NI said: “This is an important project for Software NI and it is demonstrating results that are fully aligned to the Minister’s priorities. In addition to creating 40 more accessible software job opportunities for women, this project serves as a valuable education and engagement initiative, allowing us to showcase the stories of women already in the software sector, the careers available and to help address some software sector misconceptions that may exist. It forms a key part of the Software NI workstreams across schools, skills, sales and the future of the sector itself.”
During her visit, the Economy Minister also took part in the Workplus podcast, due to be released next month.
Software for All runs until September 2026. For further information, visit https://campaigns.workplus.app/software-for-all
Media contact: Kathryn Kirk, Workplus, kathryn@workplus.app
