This report is part of a series of country projects within the OECD programme of work on Building Effective National Skills Strategies.
The OECD team wishes to thank the Minister for the Economy, Diane Dodds, for her commitment to the project, as well as Heather Cousins, Deputy Secretary of Skills and Education Group in the Department for the Economy for her dedication, participation and continuous support for the project. The OECD is especially grateful to the Northern Ireland Project Team for its invaluable guidance and input throughout the project, and for its help convening and organising the stakeholder workshops. We are particularly grateful to the Project Leader, Graeme Wilkinson, Director of Skills at the Department for the Economy for his strong leadership and co‑ordination of the project team from the Department for the Economy, which included: Michael Gould, Raymond Kelly, Roger Arneill, Ruth Bennett, Renée O’Cleary, Adrian McMullan, and Julianne Kieran.
Our warm thanks go to the many government and non-government representatives who generously shared their time and insights during workshops, group discussions and many other meetings with the OECD team in Belfast, Derry/Londonderry and Dungannon, and via written input. Over 200 stakeholders participated in the various meetings that took place during four OECD missions. These stakeholders represented government departments, government agencies, subnational authorities, education and training institutions, businesses and business associations, trade unions and community associations, academia, civil society and other organisations. We would also like to thank the many experts who volunteered as moderators and note-takers during the workshops.
Bart Staats (OECD Centre for Skills) was the project leader responsible for co‑ordinating the OECD Skills Strategy project. Seconded from the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy, Conor Brady ensured strong collaboration between the project team and the OECD, and with his local expertise played a crucial role in the development of the report and the organisation of missions. The authors of this report were: Chapter 1. Key insights and recommendations for Northern Ireland (Conor Brady, Sam Thomas, Bart Staats); Chapter 2. Reducing skills imbalances in Northern Ireland (Conor Brady); Chapter 3. Creating a culture of lifelong learning in Northern Ireland (Stefano Piano – OECD Centre for Skills); Chapter 4. Transforming workplaces to make better use of skills in Northern Ireland (Bart Staats); and Chapter 5. Strengthening the governance of skills policies in Northern Ireland (Daniel Unterweger – University of St. Gallen, Switzerland). Serli Abrahamoglu and Sam Thomas (OECD Centre for Skills) provided statistical support. While the report draws on data and analysis from the OECD, authorities in Northern Ireland and other published sources, any errors or misinterpretations remain the responsibility of the OECD team.
As Head of the OECD National Skills Strategy team and Acting Head of the OECD Centre for Skills, Andrew Bell provided oversight, analytical guidance, comments on chapters and supervision. Stefano Scarpetta, Director of the OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, and Mark Pearson, Deputy Director of the OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, both provided strategic oversight for the project, as well as comments.
Véronique Quénehen and Jennifer Cannon (OECD Centre for Skills) provided invaluable support for mission organisation, report layout and design, and publication planning. Julie Harris provided proofreading and editorial support.