Software NI has partnered with early talent experts Workplus to create more apprenticeship opportunities in the software industry, with the ambition to grow the number of female apprentices in the sector.
The two organisations are set to embark on an 18-month project designed to create more apprenticeships within the software industry, aiming to have 40 additional female apprentices in software roles by September 2026.
The project is being funded by the Department for the Economy – one of six successful bids awarded through the Apprenticeship Inclusion Challenge Fund.
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said: “My Department’s Apprenticeship Inclusion Challenge Fund will help make our workforce more diverse and inclusive whilst increasing the supply of skills to employers right across the north. The project being delivered by Workplus will encourage more women into software apprenticeships, where they are currently underrepresented.”
Richard Kirk, CEO of Workplus, said, “We are excited to be embarking on this collaborative, inclusive project with Software NI. As well coordinated apprentice recruitment campaigns, this project has been designed to support employers and help them better understand the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of software apprenticeships. On the applicant side, ‘Software for All’ will involve extensive engagement, educating and informing schools, pupils, career-changers, community groups and parents about the fantastic opportunities available in this thriving industry.”
Neil Hutcheson, CEO of Software NI, said, “This is an important project for Software NI in building awareness of the apprenticeships available, specifically for women. As well as creating more accessible job opportunities, this project also serves as a valuable education and engagement initiative allowing us to showcase the stories of women already in the sector, the careers available and to help address some software sector misconceptions that may exist. It will form a key part of our overall workstreams across schools, skills, sales and the future of the sector itself.”
The software industry in Northen Ireland is one of the fastest growing tech centres in Europe. It contributes £1.7 billion annually and employs around 23,000 people across approximately 2,200 businesses.
The project will begin with an employer event on 13th May 2025, with the first apprenticeship recruitment campaign taking place in August 2025.
Software NI is a membership organisation for the Software Industry. Its ‘50 and 5 by 35’ vision is to accelerate and double the Software job footprint in NI to 50,000 jobs by 2035, at which point it is estimated the software industry will contribute around £5 billion in Gross Value Added to the local economy.
Workplus has developed bespoke software for early talent recruitment and specialises in creating collaborative and coordinated apprenticeship recruitment campaigns.
For further information or to register for the employer event, visit www.workplus.app .