Skills
The Department for the Economy is supporting up to 2,000 free places on short courses, delivered by the local further and higher education providers.
Opportunities are available from entry to postgraduate levels, focussing on skills identified by industry, including:
- digital skills
- essential skills
- employability skills
- leadership and management
A range of courses to help you get work in the health and social care sector, to meet its current demands in this public health emergency, are also available.
All courses will be delivered online and how you take part will be flexible to fit around your busy lives, whether you’re working from home or providing support to children or vulnerable relatives.
All courses include an accredited qualification and will finish by 30 November 2020.
Courses available
Find out what courses are available at your local college or education provider below. For more information on specific courses, visit the provider’s website.
Belfast Metropolitan College
- ILM level 3 award: leadership and management
- ILM level 3 accredited module: understanding stress management in the workplace
- ILM level 3 accredited module: solving problems and making decisions
- OCN level 3 award: digital construction with building information modelling
- level 2 OCN award: social media
- level 2 OCN award: digital marketing
- CIM level 4: digital marketing module
- Cisco cyber security essentials
- MTA security fundamentals
- analysing and visualising data with Microsoft Power BI
- level 2 Highfield award: food safety for catering
- level 3 Highfield award: food safety for catering
- level 2 NCFE CACHE award: health and social care
- level 4 ILM certificate: principles of leadership and management for adult social care
- Level 2 CACHE introductory awareness of autistic spectrum disorders
- Level 2 OCN award: meeting needs of learners with ADHD
- Level 2 CACHE certificate: managing challenging behaviour in children and young people
- Level 2 CACHE: understanding children and young people’s mental health
- CPD non-accredited safeguarding
- CPD suicide awareness
- CPD addiction
Northern Regional College
- City and Guilds level 1 certificate in Essential Skills: Information and Communication Technology
- City and Guilds level 2 certificate in Essential Skills: Information and Communication Technology
- OCN NI level 2 award: social media
- OCN NI level 2 award: employability skills
- OCN NI level 2 award: digital marketing
- OCN NI level 2 award: understanding protection and safeguarding
- CMI level 3 award principles in management and leadership: managing a team to achieve results
- CMI level 3 award principles in management and leadership: managing volunteers (COVID-19 response)
- CMI level 6 award professional management and leadership practice: innovation and change
To find out more and register for a course,visit free online courses.
South West College
- ILM level 2 award: leadership and team skills
- ILM level 5 certificate: leadership and management
- ILM level 4 certificate: project management skills
- ILM level 3 award: leadership and management
- OCN NI level 1 award: the fundamentals of health care
- OCN NI level 1 award: foundation skills in working with children
- RSPH level 1 award: food hygiene awareness
- OCN NI level 2 award: end of life care
- Highfield level 2 award: understanding infection prevention and control in health and care settings (RQF)
- RSPH level 2 award: food safety and hygiene
- entry level introductory award: employability skills
- OCN NI level 1 award: employability skills
- OCN NI level 1 award: personal career development qualification
- OCN NI level 2 award: employability skills
- OCN NI level 3 award: employability and professional development skills
- NOCN entry level award: mathematics skills (entry 3)
- NOCN entry level award: English skills (entry 3)
- OCN NI entry level award: using ICT systems (entry 3)
- OCN NI entry level award: ICT skills (entry 3)
- OCN NI level 1 award: social media qualification
- OCN NI level 2 award: social media qualification
- OCN NI level 2 award: information technology applications
- ProQual level 2 award: cyber security awareness for business
North West Regional College
- INSPIRE employability
- transversal skills
- management through change
- managing furlough and new contracts (HR)
- project management
- motivating and leading a team through COVID-19
- programming/ coding for beginners
- IT and office skills
- using Word Press or web platform for website (programming)
- introduction to social media for marketing
- Photoshop - using imaging software tools
- introduction to cyber security
- numeracy (maths)
- communication (English)
- ICT
- dementia awareness
- autism
- introduction to health and social care
- pre-domiciliary care
- safeguarding DSO
- first aid (refresher for COVID-19)
- contact dermatitis
South Eastern Regional College
- City and Guilds ITQ for users: level 2 award
- ILM level 3: leadership and management with an employability and careers wrap around (skills intervention programme)
- CMI Level 5: leadership and management
- CMI level 3: project management with an employability and careers wrap around (skills intervention programme)
- health and social care (skills intervention programme)
Queen’s University Belfast
- postgraduate certificate: operations and supply chain management
Ulster University
- postgraduate certificate: professional software development (data science)
- postgraduate certificate: artificial intelligence
- flexible qualifications computer aided design and manufacture for the engineering sector
- postgraduate certificate:business analysis and consulting
- postgraduate certificate: professional development (enabling business recovery)
Further information and details on how to apply for the Ulster University courses can be found at UpSkill with Ulster University.
Further information
For more information on any of the courses above and how to apply, contact the relevant college or university:
Other online training courses can be found at online training support.