Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has congratulated 15 students graduating from the Department for Infrastructure’s second Civil Engineering Skills Academy, a programme designed to fast-track candidates into public service careers. The graduates, who completed pre-employment training through Belfast Metropolitan College, now have the opportunity to interview for permanent employment with the Department.
The Skills Academy represents a collaboration between the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and Belfast Met, offering participants an introduction to civil engineering alongside practical training in surveying, contract management, construction, traffic management, health and safety, and essential workplace skills including teamwork, communication and IT. This is the second cohort to complete the Academy since its launch in July 2024.
A Pathway from Classroom to Career
Unlike traditional academic routes, the Skills Academy functions as a pre-employment training course specifically tailored to meet the Department’s recruitment needs. Participants gain industry-recognised accredited qualifications throughout the programme, with successful completion leading to a guaranteed interview for permanent civil service roles—though not guaranteed employment.
The Academy addresses a critical skills gap within Northern Ireland’s infrastructure sector. According to the Northern Ireland Employer Skills Survey 2024, there remain 29,900 vacancies across the economy, with 25% of these classified as skills-shortage vacancies where employers struggle to find candidates with appropriate qualifications or experience.
Minister Praises “Engineers of the Future”
Speaking at the graduation event, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins emphasised the vital role civil engineers play in public service delivery:
“It was a real pleasure to meet this latest cohort of Skills Academy students, who are at an exciting point in their lives embarking into employment following a successful period of study.
“Civil engineering sits at the heart of everything we do as a Department. From the roads we all use every day, to the water we rely on for life, to the flood defences that protect our communities. Your profession quite literally shapes the world we live in and that makes this role incredibly important in the delivery of services the Department is responsible for.
“This combination of study and the opportunity to gain employment is a good way to progress in civil engineering and to contribute to our communities infrastructure needs of the future. Congratulations on your graduation and I wish you all the very best with your career.”
College Partnership “Central to Success”
Damian Duffy, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met, highlighted the importance of the partnership between the further education provider and government department:
“We are delighted to have continued our strong partnership with the Department for Infrastructure through this year’s Skills Academy. Building on the success of last year’s programme, the Academy has once again provided participants with practical, employer-led training to support progression into employment within this important sector.
“The partnership between Belfast Met and DfI has been central to the Academy’s success, ensuring the programme is aligned to the Department’s needs and the skills required in the workplace. It has been excellent to see participants develop their knowledge, confidence and understanding throughout.
“At Belfast Met, we are committed to working with employers and government departments to create clear pathways into employment. This Academy is another strong example of how targeted skills programmes can support learners, employers and the future workforce.”
Questions Remain Over Scale and Accessibility
While the programme offers a clear pathway into employment, several questions emerge from the announcement. The current cohort of 15 graduates represents a significant reduction from the 29 students who completed the first Academy in January 2025. The Department has not explained this reduction in capacity, raising questions about whether this reflects lower applicant numbers, budget constraints, or a strategic shift toward smaller, more targeted training groups.
Entry requirements may also limit accessibility. Candidates must hold at least three GCSEs—including Grade B in Maths, Grade C in English, and Grade C in a Science subject—alongside access to transport for travel throughout Northern Ireland. These requirements may exclude potential applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds who lack the specific academic qualifications or private vehicle access necessary for the role, potentially limiting the Academy’s ability to address social mobility alongside skills shortages.
The Department also did not disclose how many graduates from the first cohort successfully secured permanent employment following their guaranteed interviews, making assessment of the programme’s true conversion rate from training to employment difficult.
Broader Context and Future Outlook
The Skills Academy forms part of a wider network of pre-employment training initiatives across Northern Ireland, including Belfast Met’s Digital Skills Academies funded by Bank of America and various Assured Skills Academies supported by the Department for the Economy. These programmes collectively aim to address the 7,500 skills-shortage vacancies identified in the 2024 employer survey.
As the Department continues recruitment campaigns for Industrial Road Workers and Civil Engineering trainees, the success of these academies will likely influence future public sector workforce development strategies. The model—combining further education provision with guaranteed interview opportunities—offers a template that could be replicated across other government departments facing similar technical skills shortages.
Questions for the Department:
- Why has the Skills Academy cohort size reduced from 29 to 15 students, and does this indicate budgetary constraints or changes in demand?
- What percentage of first-cohort graduates successfully secured permanent employment with DfI, and what support is provided to those who do not pass their interviews?
- How is the Department ensuring that GCSE and transport requirements do not create barriers for candidates from underrepresented communities seeking to enter the civil service?
- Does the Department plan to expand this academy model to address skills shortages in other technical areas such as digital infrastructure or environmental engineering?