International Fund for Ireland invests £276,561 in two BURC skills programmes
IFI committed £276,561 to two BURC-led programmes supporting young people through advanced manufacturing training, qualifications and cross-border learning.
In August 2024, the International Fund for Ireland announced a combined £276,561 of support for two programmes led by Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre, strengthening work around skills, employability and advanced manufacturing.
A £143,230 award supported Empowering Futures: Advanced Manufacturing Traineeship for Young Adults, a 12-month programme aimed at 17–25-year-olds from Belfast who had been affected by low academic attainment and barriers to employment.
A further £133,331 supported the Advanced Manufacturing Pathways Schools Project, bringing together 12 schools — six in Northern Ireland and six in Ireland — to encourage 14- and 15-year-olds to consider high-skilled STEM careers through modern technologies and project-based learning.
Together, the two awards connected different stages of the skills journey: introducing school pupils to future careers while creating a more intensive route into training and employment for young adults.
The investment reinforced BURC and Portview’s wider social purpose: creating routes into education and employment through practical learning.
Contemporary coverage / source: International Fund for Ireland – IFI Announces Funding for Peacebuilding Initiatives
