"I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet the fantastic apprentices at Queen’s. I was struck by the diversity of the apprentices and their routes to the programme, along with their passion and knowledge which was so evident when we spoke. I was also very impressed with the support that they received from their supervisors – clearly the University recognises the importance of apprenticeships from an employer’s perspective as well as that of a training provider.  I look forward to seeing more apprentices at Queen’s in the years to come. The Technician Apprenticeship Pilot Programme with Belfast Met is an excellent initiative, which will benefit the apprentices and both institutions."

Deputy Secretary for Dept for the Economy, Moira Doherty