School Employer Connections (SEC) – the student / employer work placement broker that has operated in the North-West and across Northern Ireland for the last twenty-four years (formerly as FOSEC) has recently been advised of a significant cut in the amount and duration of its funding for 2023/24 by its principal funder, the Department of Education. A registered charity, SEC has typically received 80% of its annual operational funding requirement from the Department.

In a letter to the organisation the Department has offered SEC an allocation of two month’s budget cover (for April and May 2023) or £20,000, during which time it hopes that a final budget position can be reached. This contrasts to the Department’s most recent funding provision to SEC of £110,000 for the 2022/23 year which ended on 31 March 2023. On top of the news of only two months funding for the current year the Department has cautioned that once the final budget position for 2023/24 is confirmed “it is unlikely that any funding will be available to support existing programmes”, such as those currently provided by SEC. The budget confirmation is expected in a couple of months’ time.

The Chairman of SEC Roy Devine said: “The possible loss of service will have long term impact on the economy. These decisions negatively affect the preparation of students for employment in a climate where skills and qualifications are key.  They will become disenfranchised. Employers will have less access to and influence on the talent pipeline”.

SEC is an important and highly regarded fixture on the careers/employability landscape of the North-West and this news represents a significant blow to the staff team at SEC whose invaluable dedication to serving the students, schools and employers is well known and much appreciated right across the city and region. In the year just ended SEC engaged with 7,854 students, up from 6,516 students in the previous year. SEC has a team of 6 full-time and part-time staff as well as a small team of volunteers who assist in the delivery of its programmes.

The board and management team at SEC is seeking alternative ways to partner with the Department in delivering its core services and will explore other avenues for funding, potential new partnerships, and innovative ways of working in an effort to sustain the organisation in the future.

The Manager of SEC Owen Crozier said: “If this were to happen it would have a significant detrimental impact on the service we offer young people regarding career, employability and work-related learning opportunities and options that helps them make important career path decisions.”

It is the case however that, in the absence of core funding from the Department, or a new funder, SEC will not be able to continue the delivery of any of its programmes beyond May of this year. Given the organisation’s uncertain funding position, the SEC board has advised staff at the charity that their jobs are at risk of redundancy.

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NOTES TO EDITOR

  1. School Employer Connections (SEC), formerly FOSEC, was set up in 1999 to prepare young people for employment bridging the gap between the world of education and the world of work by enabling access to careers, employability and work-related learning and education, resources and experiences.
  2. The SEC board is made up of school principals and senior representatives from commerce and industry.
  3. SEC has a combined experience of 95 years in the field of work placement brokerage and associated governance.
  4. It is estimated that SEC has engaged with and assisted 118,500 students in the 24 years that it has been in operation.
  5. Photograph included of students on a visit during the construction of Foyle Arena