To ask the Minister for the Economy to outline any action she is taking to address the increase in young people not in education, employment or training in Northern Ireland.

Dr Archibald

The reported increase in the number of young people here who are not in education, employment or training is of significant concern to me. It is a complex area that is not unique to here, involving a diverse range of young people aged between 16 and 24, with multiple factors at play. I have asked my officials to consider the factors that are associated with the increase; for example, whether the increasing incidence of poor mental health could be contributing to that worrying trend. Many of my Department's programmes are aimed at supporting our young people to thrive in training or employment. Those include entry-level programmes such as Skills for Life and Work and Step Up, with FE colleges offering flexible delivery to accommodate diverse learner needs. The apprenticeship programme, with the recently launched apprenticeship action plan, is a key deliverable. I will soon be consulting on widening participation in higher education. The loss of European social funding continues to be a challenge when it comes to the interventions that we can offer. Addressing the trend will require a holistic response from across the Executive. I am committed to working with my Executive colleagues to ensure that all our young people can fully participate and achieve their potential.

Dr Archibald

I thank the Member for her question. I know WOMEN'STEC well. On Friday, I will actually visit its project launch in the north-west as part of the apprenticeship inclusion challenge fund. The apprenticeship inclusion challenge fund supports projects to facilitate young people from backgrounds that traditionally face barriers. That includes women, because the numbers of girls who participate in apprenticeships are much lower than the numbers of young boys. We want to address that gap. I certainly want to support and encourage more young women and girls into those less traditional roles and to do anything that we can to support that. That includes the work that we are doing through the careers action plan, so that young people know about the variety of options that are available to them and the pathways to get there. A number of different pieces of work are going on. The trends that relate to those young people who are not in education, employment or training are concerning. We need to take a more focused look at that.

Ms Ferguson

Can the Minister expand on how she and the Department intend to support young people who are furthest removed from the labour market, particularly those who have disengaged and have low or no qualifications?

Dr Archibald

I thank the Member for her question. As I mentioned in my previous answer, the Department delivers Skills for Life and Work, which is a vocational education and training programme that is focused primarily on entry level and level 1, providing a guaranteed training place for young people aged 16 and 17 who have left school with low or no qualifications. The programme supports those who have very low or no prior achievement on their journey towards further education, employment or an apprenticeship, and it serves a cohort of young people who face significant barriers to engagement in work and learning. My officials are also working with training providers to identify progression pathways for programmes to better support outcomes for young people. We also support the PEACE PLUS youth programme, which targets young people aged from 14 to 24 who are disadvantaged, marginalised or at risk of involvement with violent or paramilitary activity. Typically, those young people have disengaged from mainstream provision. Participants can develop their capabilities in areas such as good relations, personal development and employability, alongside a focus on identifying the next step of their journey.