Wednesday, 22 October 2025
The Antrim and Newtownabbey Labour Market Partnership (LMP) has relaunched the Employee Upskilling Grant Fund, offering vital support to local businesses aiming to futureproof their workforce and boost staff development. What the Grant Offers The Employee Upskilling Grant Fund provides up to £5,000 per business to help cover the cost of training for eligible employees. […]
The Antrim and Newtownabbey Labour Market Partnership (LMP) has relaunched the Employee Upskilling Grant Fund, offering vital support to local businesses aiming to futureproof their workforce and boost staff development.
The Employee Upskilling Grant Fund provides up to £5,000 per business to help cover the cost of training for eligible employees. The initiative is targeted at:
Part-time employees (working 16 hours or less) who wish to progress in their careers
Employees at risk of redundancy needing new pathways
Staff who want to upskill into improved or new roles within their organisation
By supporting the internal progression of staff, the programme aims to free up entry-level roles, opening opportunities for unemployed residents in the borough.
As Northern Ireland transitions toward a greener economy, there’s growing demand for skills in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable construction, waste reduction, and environmental management.
In regions like Antrim and Newtownabbey, supporting SMEs through skills development can lead to more locally rooted jobs and stronger supply chains. This increases economic resilience and reduces dependency on large, footloose employers.
How this connects:
The Upskilling Grant Fund could help local businesses prepare their workforce for green jobs, contributing to both economic resilience and climate action.
Example: A construction firm might use the grant to train staff in low-carbon building techniques or energy-efficient retrofitting.
Between 2023 and 2025, 13 businesses and 66 employees across a variety of sectors, from logistics to beauty, have already benefited from the programme. These businesses have reported improvements in staff retention, productivity, and competitiveness.
Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Cllr Leah Kirkpatrick, encouraged eligible businesses to apply:
“Businesses who have received funding from the Employee Upskilling Grant Fund have said the funding has enabled them to expand their business and create new job opportunities, increase their service offerings, as well as increase employee satisfaction by investing in employees’ professional development.”
One example of the programme’s success is AI Services, which used the grant to train staff in ultrasonic pregnancy scanning for cattle, which is a service with growing demand.
Eamonn Matthews, representing AI Services, said:
“The LMP granted funding for specialist training for ultrasonic pregnancy scanning for cattle, which was a service that had increased demand. The funding means that our upskilled staff now deliver a more varied and advanced service, which has helped create a competitive advantage for our business and has greatly improved job sustainability and satisfaction of our staff.”
The grant is open to micro, small, and medium-sized businesses located in the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area. Applications open on Wednesday the 27th of August, and organisations who represent or support businesses can apply on behalf of a number of businesses.
Businesses are encouraged to act quickly, as funding is limited.
This programme not only boosts career prospects for existing staff but also helps address labour shortages in the area by creating space for new recruits. It’s part of the Council’s wider goal to support economic development and reduce unemployment through skills-led growth.
As governments and industries respond to climate targets, there is an urgent need to address the skills gap in low-carbon sectors. According to the UK Government’s Green Jobs Taskforce, over 400,000 green jobs could be created by 2030. However, this will only be possible if local and regional economies invest now in training and workforce readiness.
Antrim and Newtownabbey have an opportunity to become hubs of green innovation, particularly in renewable energy installation, retrofitting housing stock, and sustainable logistics. Upskilling grants can equip workers with the technical knowledge and certifications needed to access these jobs, ensuring that local residents benefit from the transition.
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