North West Regional College (NWRC) is a high-quality provider of specialist training and upskilling programmes to a range of employers across the region. The college provides masterclasses, accredited and tailored courses (Level 2 to Level 5) to meet the needs of businesses and delivers programmes across campus locations in Derry~Londonderry, Limavady and Strabane in the following areas:

  • Business & Professional Programmes
  • Early Years Learning & Development
  • Computing, IT & Digital Media
  • Health & Social Care
  • Construction & Built Environment
  • Sports & Leisure
  • Hospitality, Catering & Tourism

Many of the courses are also delivered fully online or blended which offers greater flexibility for individuals. The NWRC has also developed bespoke training programmes with industry recognised qualification specific to companies’ individual needs.

Skills Funding Options

Skills Focus: Skills Focus is a Department for the Economy (DfE) funded programme aiming to increase the skills levels, motivation and productivity of the existing workforce by offering industry specific and accredited qualifications at level 2 and above. This programme is open to businesses and social enterprises with fewer than 250 employees.

Skill Up Programme: Skill Up offers a range of fully-funded accredited courses to provide people across Northern Ireland the opportunity to retrain or reskill to improve their employment prospects in a range of priority areas. Opportunities are available from entry to postgraduate levels across a range of industries and sectors such as digital, advanced manufacturing & engineering, health & social care, leadership & management and entrepreneurship.

Assured Skills Programme: The DfE-funded Assured Skills programme is a short, demand-led, pre-employment training programme, which is fully funded by DfE, to upskill individuals and help them compete for guaranteed job vacancies in new foreign direct investment (FDI) companies and expanding indigenous businesses.

Apprenticeships and Traineeships: NWRC also offer an extensive range of Apprenticeship and Traineeship programmes across a number of areas such as Craft, Engineering, Construction, Hospitality & Catering, IT, Childcare, Hairdressing, Housing Practice and Health and Social Care.

Labour Market Partnership: These short courses are fully funded through local councils such as Derry City and Strabane District Council and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council via the Department for the Communities Labour Market Partnership funding. These programmes aim to give individuals the skills that employers are looking for in a range of disciplines such as Leadership and Management and Advanced Manufacturing sectors. If you are over 16, unemployed and a resident of Derry City & Strabane District Council or Causeway Coast and Glens Council.

Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs): Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs) are unique work-based learning programmes enabling participants to ‘earn while they learn’. These support businesses to ‘employ clever’ and address high level skills shortages, as well as improving business practice by developing a progressively skilled workforce, essential for today’s competitive economic climate. There is no cost to the employer for participation however there is a 1-day release per week for the employee, which can be new or existing employees, to attend NWRC. HLAs are currently offered in Accountancy, Business and Enterprise, Software Development, Engineering, Hospitality & Tourism and Childcare, Modern Construction and FinTech.