To ask the Minister for the Economy how her Department is supporting the creation of entry level employment opportunities for young people in the hospitality sector.

In January this year, my Department launched the Tourism Vision & Action Plan which sets out our ambition for growth over the next 10 years. One of the actions is to develop a bespoke skills action plan for the sector and my officials have established a Tourism Skills Delivery Group to ensure there is adequate skills training provision to meet the requirements of job roles at all levels, now and in the future.

The Vision highlights that tourism, including the hospitality sector, has the potential to create substantial employment opportunities right across the North and within every section of our society. It provides a career path for school leavers into management and leadership roles that is rarely found across other sectors; a route to greater social mobility for many within our most deprived urban and rural communities; and the soft skills that young people are equipped with when working in the tourism and hospitality industry are highly transferable to a wide range of careers.

I am committed to supporting young people into entry-level roles including those within the hospitality sector. My Department delivers a range of programmes that create clear pathways to employment. Skills for Life and Work (SfLW) and Traineeships provide a non-employed route to gaining Level 1–3 qualifications, helping participants build essential skills and confidence. For those ready to enter the workforce, ApprenticeshipsNI offers an employed route, enabling individuals to earn while they learn and progress within the sector.

My Department’s Apprenticeship Action Plan, published on 11 August 2025, directly supports the creation of more entry-level jobs for young people, including within the hospitality and tourism sector.

Together, these initiatives will ensure that people of all ages have flexible options to start and develop their careers in hospitality.