15 June 2026
£2m boost for advanced manufacturing skills in Northern Ireland
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has announced £2 million for skills development in Northern Ireland’s advanced manufacturing sector. The funding forms part of the wider £150 million Enhanced Investment Zone (EIZ), a ten-year UK Government-funded programme led by the Department for the Economy in partnership with Invest NI, universities and colleges.
The 2026/27 programme will work with industry to identify and develop the skills needed to boost productivity and growth and is expected to deliver over 400 qualifications at Levels 3 to 7. These span broad areas including engineering, core sciences, digital, and business – the latter incorporating leadership and management. It will also offer targeted support to help businesses adopt new technologies and compete more effectively.
The investment builds on a successful skills pilot that has already supported 30 small and medium-sized enterprises. The announcement was made at Plaswire, a circular-economy manufacturer specialising in the recycling of wind-turbine blades, which benefited from the pilot. The company described the support received through Belfast Metropolitan College as helping it strengthen capability and build the talent pipeline needed to scale.
For the career’s profession, the programme is a useful signal of where high-value, future-facing roles in Northern Ireland are being created. Advanced manufacturing increasingly blends engineering, digital and green skills, and qualifications from Level 3 through to postgraduate level open routes for school leavers, apprentices, graduates and adults retraining alike.
CDI members may wish to factor advanced manufacturing into guidance conversations as a growth sector with clear, supported progression pathways, particularly given the role of FE colleges as delivery partners. It is also a reminder of how closely skills investment, employer demand and regional economic policy are now intertwined in the opportunities practitioners help clients explore.
Read more about the announced investment.
The 2026/27 programme will work with industry to identify and develop the skills needed to boost productivity and growth and is expected to deliver over 400 qualifications at Levels 3 to 7. These span broad areas including engineering, core sciences, digital, and business – the latter incorporating leadership and management. It will also offer targeted support to help businesses adopt new technologies and compete more effectively.
The investment builds on a successful skills pilot that has already supported 30 small and medium-sized enterprises. The announcement was made at Plaswire, a circular-economy manufacturer specialising in the recycling of wind-turbine blades, which benefited from the pilot. The company described the support received through Belfast Metropolitan College as helping it strengthen capability and build the talent pipeline needed to scale.
For the career’s profession, the programme is a useful signal of where high-value, future-facing roles in Northern Ireland are being created. Advanced manufacturing increasingly blends engineering, digital and green skills, and qualifications from Level 3 through to postgraduate level open routes for school leavers, apprentices, graduates and adults retraining alike.
CDI members may wish to factor advanced manufacturing into guidance conversations as a growth sector with clear, supported progression pathways, particularly given the role of FE colleges as delivery partners. It is also a reminder of how closely skills investment, employer demand and regional economic policy are now intertwined in the opportunities practitioners help clients explore.
Read more about the announced investment.
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£2m boost for advanced manufacturing skills in Northern Ireland
A new £2m programme will deliver over 400...
15 June 2026
