Ulster Unionist Party Leader Mike Nesbitt and Employment and Learning Spokesperson Robin Swann have highlighted the importance of further and higher education for Northern Ireland’s economic future.

Robin Swann MLA said:

“The broad strategic importance of higher and further education cannot and should not be underestimated. Investment in higher and further education is an investment in the development of the local economy and our society.

“The demand for higher level skills will become even more acute in the context of a cut in corporation tax. There is a danger that Northern Ireland will not be able to meet the skills demands of companies attracted to investing here due to the low level of corporation tax. Cutting corporation tax must go hand-in-hand with investment in skills.

“In the global market, Northern Ireland must remain competitive and attractive to foreign direct investment and colleges play a key role in ensuring that there is a highly skilled labour market to support this. The colleges have developed close links with Government over the past decade and have worked tirelessly to deliver on the economic priorities.

“Here in Northern Ireland, the value and impact of what our universities and colleges do has never been more important. They are crucial to the success of every aspect of the priorities that are identified in the Programme for Government.”

Speaking in support of an Assembly motion proposed by Mr Swann calling for the Executive to support and invest in the higher and further education sectors, Mike Nesbitt MLA said;

“In responding to the consultation on the budget, the Ulster Unionist Party said;

‘In context of rebalancing the economy, targeting FDI and growing the private sector, slashing training and skills is counter intuitive and counterproductive. This creates a fundamental contradiction at the heart of the draft budget for 2015/16 and should add impetus to the need to create a single, joined up Department for the Economy.’

It has long been the policy of the Ulster Unionist Party that there should be one, joined up Department for the Economy. Recent announcements on the re configuration of Department seem to suggest that our long standing policy proposal is finally being taken into consideration.

The Executive must determine whether it still wishes to produce the highly skilled workforce Northern Ireland needs if it is to take advantage of foreign direct investment, and the anticipated expansion of the private sector.”