Employment Support Information and Training

If you live in Northern Ireland and are keen to work, there are a lot of organisations that want to help! See below a list and something about them to help you decide which organisations would be most helpful for your situation:​​​​​

• NI Careers Service Careers | nidirect – advice, guidance and support for anyone
• Belfast Works Connect: Belfast Works Connect - Upper Springfield Development Trust an employability programme working across Belfast to help those 16-65 who claim PIP, EDA support element or are carers. Once registered people have a connect manager who takes them through different training options and then at the end aim at voluntary or paid work placements.
• CAP (Christians Against Poverty) Job Clubs CAP Job Clubs | CAP UK – these meet weekly, following an 8-week course to provide tools for your job search e.g. CV-writing, interview skills. Job coaches are available. They run on a local club basis linked to a local church – you can search on the website via your postcode. You can also get other CAP financial support and debt advice.
• Springboard NI Springboard - Making a positive difference to people and communities (springboard-opps.org) – runs a number of long term and short term programmes in Belfast and Greater Belfast but also some partners in North and West for people aged 16-30. You must already have the right to work in the UK and an NI number. Each programme has separate criteria, get in touch with Laura Marley the coordinator to find out more on 028 90315111 or lauramarley@springboard-opps.org.  They also offer one-to-one support.
• Workforce Training Services Workforce Training Services Belfast Northern Ireland (workforceonline.org) – provides employability programmes for people from diverse backgrounds
• Bryson Training and Employability Bryson Training and Employability (brysonfutureskills.org) – employment and learning programmes for young people and the long term unemployed
• GEMS NI: GEMS Northern Ireland (gemsni.org.uk) 02890 332313, provides tailored support and mentoring (including English language, including Gateway to Choice, Belfast Works Connect and See me for your CV programmes)
• Extern Moving Forward, Moving On project, for people who are not in education, training or employment and/or have a history of offending behaviour
• The Prince's Trust in Northern Ireland | Where we work (princes-trust.org.uk) supports 11- to 30-year-olds who are unemployed or struggling at school to get their lives on track, including a Senior Youth Worker supporting young people seeking asylum. Referrals can also be made via the website or general email address [email protected]

• NOW group: nowgroup.org | Learning difficulties | Autism | Belfast | Dublin | N Ireland | Ireland
• Disability Action https://www.disabilityaction.org/ – include skills for life and work programme and apprenticeships
• USEL (Ulster Supported Employment and Learning) https://www.usel.co.uk/ have a number of different programmes for both pre- work and during work including empower, step up (in partnership with Belfast Met), skills for life and work, job start (6 months opportunities) and workable. You will need to sign a declaration regarding your health, and this includes health issues related to PTSD, anxiety or depression. They are also brokers for the Job Start scheme, which provides a wage subsidy to employers who are interested in providing employment to new entrants to the labour force, and have various social enterprises where people can get work experience.
• Orchardville | Supporting People with Learning Disability and Autism – provide support in Belfast, South Eastern and Western HSCTs, includes various different skill training courses as well as social enterprises for work experience
• Mencap NI Employment and Personal Development | Mencap Northern Ireland
• Stepping Stones NI Stepping Stones NI | We See Everyone's Potential : Stepping Stones -  support people with learning difficulties, Autism, ADHD and Dyslexia and Mental Health issues, covering the south eastern region of Northern Ireland.
• Action Mental Health Services | Action Mental Health (amh.org.uk)
• Specialisterne NI Specialisterne NI | Autism & Aspergers Talent Recruitment - recruit and support talented autistic people with a diagnosis of Autism, Aspergers, or who have a communication difference in the workplace.

• RefuAid https://refuaid.org/ - English language tuition, higher education, finance and employment for refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. Anyone who has claimed asylum can apply directly to them via the following link: https://refuaid.my.salesforce-sites.com/languageapplication. You will receive an initial call from a member of the RefuAid team, in order to find out more information about your circumstances and if/how they may be able to support you. They have an extensive waiting list. 
• STEP Ukraine STEP Ukraine | World Jewish Relief - an intensive, virtual, 12-week English language and employment programme for Ukrainians in the UK.

• Upwork opportunity unlimited programme Upwork’s Opportunity Unlimited Initiative (connecting displaced Ukrainian professionals to remote work)
• Network Personnel: training and employment initiatives throughout Northern Ireland, Cavan and Monaghan, including MORE (Migrant Opportunities for Reskilling and Employment) free programme: MORE (Migrant Opportunities for Reskilling & Employment) - (networkpersonnel.org.uk)
• Ashton Training and Employment (North Belfast) Training and Employment - Ashton Community Trust (ashtoncentre.com)

• Erano – specific support for refugees and asylum seekers in Omagh ERANO Fermanagh/Omagh/Refugee Support | Facebook

• ATLAS (Adult Training Learning and Support) Women’s Centre in Lisburn: https://www.atlaswomenscentre.co.uk/ - this includes childcare
• Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre BURC – Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre Advice and Services including ESOL classes
• STEP - covers South Tyrone (Dungannon, Cookstown etc) - STEP Northern Ireland South Tyrone Empowerment Programme South Tyrone Empowerment Programme STEPni.org

It’s also worth trying the particular council website in your area for things that they may offer

eg. Omagh and Fermanagh: https://www.fermanaghomagh.com/services/community/cost-of-living-help/help-with-employment-and-training/

Belfast Employment Academies: https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/employmentacademies

We wish you all the best as you seek and start up in employment. Do let us know if there is anything else you have found useful or if there is anything that has not worked on this site.