BUSINESS FIRST NORTHERN IRELAND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2017
Learning to adapt at Belfast Met
Christine Brown , Head of Department , Belfast Business School at Belfast Met tells us how the 110 year old College is helping the learners of today adapt to an ever-changing economic landscape .
n the 110th anniversary of Belfast Metropolitan College , under the slogan
O‘ leading the city to work ’, we continue our groundbreaking heritage by launching a new Business School .
Back in 1906 , what was once the Belfast Municipal Technical Institute prided itself on providing the ‘ workforce of tomorrow ’ in response to industrial need – and today , that same ethos applies , as we help learners adapt to a rapidly changing economic landscape .
Showing our commitment to the future , the Met has made a £ 1m investment in upgrading the teaching and training facilities in the e3 building at the Springvale campus , while the main headquarters is located at the worldfamous Titanic Quarter where once ships were built , now we shape careers .
While once Northern Ireland depended on heavy industry and textiles , the recently published Knowledge Economy Index ( KEI ), showed that almost 40,000 people are now employed in the knowledge economy , driven by companies involved in telecommunications , software , electronics , aerospace and financial technology .
With Northern Ireland having the secondfastest growing knowledge economy in the UK for the third consecutive year , it is also predicted that as many as 160,000 roles , including indirect jobs , will be created here by 2030 .
And Belfast Met is well equipped to help fill those positions , thanks to our curriculum provision , and building on the success of the Assured Skills Academies , which provides graduates with the skills required to contribute to the knowledge economy in subject areas like Data Analytics , Cloud Computing , Cyber Security and Global Export Sales .
Over a significant number of years we have built our reputation around first class delivery of full and part time courses across areas of curriculum which include Accounting and Finance , Business and Business Administration , Community Development , Leadership and Management , HR Management , Learning and Development Practice , Marketing / Digital Marketing and Procurement .
We also offer and continue to develop a range of bespoke accredited and nonaccredited training programmes aimed at upskilling and reskilling employees , with a current focus on Innovation , Leadership and Management , Consulting , Sales and Marketing and Project Management .
Recent years have seen a more agile approach , responding to learner needs through a modular approach to building qualifications – allowing the learner to choose from short 812 week courses right
Belfast Met ’ s Head of Belfast Business School Christine Brown and Curriculum Area Manager for Hospitality , Business Management and Finance , Andrea Cooper are joined by the college ’ s cookbook chefs Simon McCance and Andy Rea at the launch of the Linen Lounge , Yard and Scullery restaurants .
through to twoyear parttime programmes , and to “ hop on , hop off ” as their professional and personal lives allow .
We engage heavily with a range of industry sectors to ensure our curriculum remains fit for purpose . Our contribution to the development of Higher Level Apprenticeships in Accounting and in Digital Marketing are great examples of how we work collaboratively with industry and across the further education sector to address skills gaps while creating new opportunities for young people to “ learn while they earn ” as a real alternative to fulltime study at university .
The Belfast Business School curriculum includes Hospitality , Travel and Tourism and Events Management , providing access to a wide range of industry sectors , employers and opportunities to develop creative solutions for example , a focus on Leadership and Management skills development within Hospitality and Travel and Tourism .
The great thing about the breadth of what is being offered is the potential for cross over , through our professional and vocational courses .
A strong support network of hundreds of major employers including high profile restaurants and a dozen accountancy firms in the Belfast area alone , help us to shape our courses to address skills gaps – and in return , they receive highly skilled employees who are ready to work and to develop further .
Working collaboratively with key stakeholders like Tourism NI , we are helping to support jobs in this priority sector , through provision of a skilled pipeline of young talent to ensure that Northern Ireland can take full advantage of its potential as a worldclass tourist destination .
Our vocational offering makes us particularly attractive to people who may be returning to learning or who want to commercialise their hobby .
We have retrained teachers in professional cookery to support career changes , and thanks to the Great British Bake Off , our bakery and highend patisserie provision is increasingly popular .
We attract over 20,000 learners per year and as a flexible and agile institution , we can adapt quickly to major changes , all under key awarding body accreditation , such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development , Chartered Institute of Marketing and Institute of Leadership and Management , to name a few .
As a college , we take every opportunity to engage in qualifications consultation and review to ensure the needs of Northern Ireland industry are reflected in qualifications ’ content .
This provides ongoing opportunities for consultation , review and the ability to offer refresher qualifications .
Looking ahead , The Belfast Business School will soon offer ILM Leadership and Management courses right up to Level 7 , providing CPD solutions to all managerial levels , delivering the skills required of senior managers to effectively lead major projects and deal with significant change – like Brexit , which is obviously a hot topic currently .
But like all the major industrial changes which Belfast Met has seen over 110 years of proud history , we will make sure our learners are well equipped to cope in an increasingly competitive and demanding environment .
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