Skill Up (Economy NI)

Supported by a massive £23million investment from the Department for the Economy (DfE) and the Northern Ireland Office, the Skill Up initiative is a fantastic opportunity for Northern Ireland residents to access completely free, accredited training. Designed to help people reskill and upskill, this programme connects you with local further and higher education providers to bridge the skills gap and boost your career prospects.

With over 11,000 people already benefiting from the initiative, courses are highly rated by participants, with over 90% agreeing that enrolling has directly improved their employment opportunities.

What You Can Learn:

• Accredited Industry Qualifications: Access more than 20,000 training places across 300 subject areas, with certified qualifications ranging from Level 1 all the way up to Level 7.

• In-Demand Digital & Technical Fields: Take advantage of primarily online courses tailored to what employers are actively looking for, including Digital Marketing, Social Media, Green Technologies, Advanced Manufacturing, and Health Sciences.

Eligibility:

Skill Up courses are completely free to anyone aged 18 and over who is eligible to work in Northern Ireland.

Applications and the full course list can usually be accessed directly via the nidirect website.

For September 2026 enrolment options, you can visit the website pages of the various further and higher education providers:

• SERC
• NRC
• Belfast Met
• NWRC
• SWC
• Queen’s University, Belfast
• Ulster University
• Stranmilis University College