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NI’s graduates bridge the employment gap |
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Unemployed graduates in Northern Ireland are set to benefit from a unique initiative offering them a work placement alongside further study – all in the hope of securing long term employment
The Graduate Acceleration Programme (GAP) developed by Business in the Community in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster has been launched. The programme focus will be to help graduates get on to the career ladder in 2010. Facilitated by the Department for Employment and Learning through its Steps to Work programme, government, the universities, and many businesses have come together with a common goal of helping unemployed graduates affected by the recession. GAP involves a work placement, lasting up to 26 weeks, in which graduates complete a project or piece of work, while studying for one of two specially developed qualifications: the Graduate Certificate in Organisation and Management with Queen’s University Belfast; or the Graduate Certificate in Professional Practice with the University of Ulster. Businesses in Northern Ireland are being urged to get involved. Every graduate participating on GAP will continue to receive their current rate of benefit plus an additional £15.38 per week. To find out more about GAP, please visit www.gapni.com or contact the GAP Team on 028 9046 0606.For more information on Business in the Community, visit our website www.bitcni.org.uk. |
