Retail NI launches first-of-its-kind Wellbeing Plan for shopworkers

(L-R) Retail NI President, Peter McBride; Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA; Northern Ireland Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill; Retail NI CEO Glyn Roberts

Retail NI has launched the first ever local Wellbeing Plan which aims at supporting the mental health and wellbeing of Northern Ireland’s retail workers at an event in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings on Monday 6 December.

The first-of-its-kind Wellbeing Plan seeks to offer employers practical solutions to the growing wellbeing and mental health issues posed by the pandemic. It was produced under the guidance of mental health experts including Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill, Inspire Wellbeing, and the Association of Convenience Stores.

A new Minister of Wellbeing in the Executive is one of five recommendations included within the Plan which seeks to promote an economic and wellbeing recovery in Northern Ireland post-pandemic. It seeks to increase involvement of the private sector in the next 10-year Mental Health Strategy and calls on the 2021 Programme for Government to have wellbeing at its heart.

Sponsored by Pivotal, the event featured a keynote address from Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA. Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts, Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill, and Economy Committee Chair Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA also spoke at the event.

Minister for the Economy, Gordon Lyons MLA said:

“Our local retailers have been among those hardest hit by the effects of the pandemic and as we begin to rebuild our economy the wellbeing of staff is now more important than ever. The Retail NI Wellbeing Plan is a very welcome resource for the sector, and I am pleased to see key stakeholders coming together to establish a resource that can be used for all employees and businesses in Northern Ireland. 

“Our journey to recovery is gathering momentum and I have been told by businesses, chambers of commerce and trade representatives from all parts of Northern Ireland how important Spend Local has been in helping them recover from the severest impacts of the pandemic.

“As the 14 December deadline to spend the card approaches, I would urge everyone who has yet to do so to activate and use their Spend Local card. It is important that every card holder spends every penny in order to maximise the benefit. Spend it now, spend it all and spend it local.”

Northern Ireland Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill said:

“It is vital that all employers support positive mental health and wellbeing in their workforce and ensure that their employees feel valued and protected. 

“Employers should create working environments where people feel safe and able to express their feelings. I would encourage retail employers and workers to have more open discussions about how together they can protect and improve the wellbeing of everyone working in retail.

“The Wellbeing Plan is a welcome stepping-stone in starting these conversations and helping people get the support that they need. This guide is very timely, the Department of Health’s 10-Year Mental Health Strategy is currently being implemented, it is a strong plan to transform services, and to focus on early intervention and the prevention of mental illness. I am calling for the political parties in the Executive to commit to providing the 34% increase in funding for mental health services so that the Strategy can be delivered in full and on schedule.”

Retail NI Chief Executive, Glyn Roberts said:

“We are proud to be the first local business organisation to launch a plan supporting the wellbeing of retail workers. Retail is the largest sector in Northern Ireland’s private sector economy; therefore, it is essential the retail workforce is supported appropriately.

“The wellbeing of staff is vital in the workplace and research continues to show that businesses benefit when their staff are happy at work. By placing more of an emphasis on employees’ wellbeing, businesses create a better relationship with their workforce.

“We have not seen the true impact of the pandemic on the population’s mental health; however, statistics have shown 91% of managers noticed an increase in wellbeing concerns among colleagues during the pandemic. This is a shocking figure and highlights the need for the Executive to carefully consider the recommendations in the Wellbeing Plan and recognise their role in providing resources for increased workforce wellbeing.”

The Wellbeing Plan can be found at www.retailni.com

Why the ‘People Factor’ will be key to corporate climate action - by Lisa Bryson, Partner - Employment, Eversheds Sutherland

As originally appeared in the Irish News, 7 December

Lisa Bryson, Partner - Employment, Eversheds Sutherland

As the curtain fell on COP26 last month, many were left speculating what the conference meant for them. The Glasgow Climate Pact, while making advances in the phasing out of fossil fuels and the limiting of deforestation, perhaps fell short of what many had envisioned. Irrespective of what was agreed, the climate summit was a further reminder to not only political but business leaders of the urgent action needed if we are to meet our net-zero ambitions.

Northern Ireland is the only part of these islands without its own climate change legislation. Two alternative Climate Change Bills are passing through the Assembly, and despite negotiations between the two Bill sponsors to combine them, it seems both will progress simultaneously in what is an unprecedented situation. For many employers here, the absence of any legally mandated climate change target is concerning and, if no target is introduced soon, this will present significant challenges to corporate long-term planning.

In recent years, our research has shown that the reality of climate change awareness has permeated boardrooms across the globe. Mitigating emissions is now a priority issue which has both significant implications for companies’ business models and a vast impact on their stakeholders. From appointing climate change experts to their boards, to reskilling and retraining existing staff, business leaders around the world are recognising the policies and provisions they must implement to reduce their environmental impact.

The conversation around these issues has often focused on having the right policies, investment, and technologies. These are critical, of course, but what about the human element? After all, it is the people within organisations that are expected to play a decisive role in the ability to meet ambitious global targets. By incentivising employees to achieve the implementation of solutions, or by investing in their human capital, our business leaders can unlock the ideas, innovation, and skills that will likely be needed in the race to net-zero.

Coinciding with COP26, Eversheds Sutherland and KPMG recently published a report entitled ‘Climate Change & the People Factor’. Guided by a survey of 1,095 C-suite leaders across some of the world’s leading companies, the report finds that workforce engagement will be critical to any corporate climate mitigation efforts. Performance objectives, individual or team KPIs, and renumeration incentives tied to decarbonization goals, will all be critical if companies are to engage their wider workforce in reducing emissions.

Known as the ’People Factor’, this is a recognition that policies or targets themselves will not achieve results. For companies, though, this does not just include your employees. Understanding the broader community in which your business operates, recognising that there is an opportunity for cooperation among companies, training providers, and governments, will be key to ensuring not only global businesses but Northern Ireland businesses confront climate risk head-on. It is only through a strategic, joined-up approach, can we expect results.

Support among business leaders for the transition to a global, low-carbon economy has never been higher. But to transfer this goodwill into good results, and to bring about the climate action we seek, the People Factor must not be ignored.

Political and Civic Leaders graduate from prestigious Fellowship programme

(L – R) John Healy, Managing Director at Allstate NI and Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board; Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston, Centre for Democracy and Peace Building Fellow; Dominic O’Reilly, Centre for Democracy and Peace Building Fellow; Karise Hutchinson, Professor of Leadership at Ulster University and Vice-Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board

Fellows attended sessions online and in Belfast, Dublin, and Oxford as part of the programme backed by prominent Northern Irish business leaders

Leaders in civic society, business, and politics in Northern Ireland have graduated from the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building’s prestigious new Fellowship programme at a ceremony held at Hillsborough Castle.

The Fellowship aims to support, develop, and build the capacity of Northern Ireland’s political and civic leaders, with its first programme concluding at the Hillsborough Castle graduation ceremony. Through collaboration across the political, local government, business and civic society realms, the Fellowship seeks to spark new conversations that realise Northern Ireland’s potential for progress and innovation.

This year’s Fellowship gave 22 mid-career leaders the opportunity to engage with leading policymakers, business leaders, and public figures, and sought to develop their understanding of how to tackle pressing social, political, and economic issues here. The programme’s Advisory Board, which includes prominent Northern Irish business leaders, curated sessions seeking to re-imagine leadership in Northern Ireland, with Fellows also attending sessions at the internationally renowned Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford and the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in Dublin.

Featuring a video address from Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney TD, the graduation ceremony gathered esteemed business and political leaders from the UK & Ireland to mark the end of the first Fellowship programme. Attendees also heard from John Healy, Fellowship Advisory Board Chair and Vice President of Allstate NI, Professor Karise Hutchinson, Advisory Board Vice Chair and Professor at Ulster University, and others including Fellow Dominic O’Reilly.

The Fellowship is delivered by the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building (CDPB), working with key stakeholders and facilitators from the business sector and leading academic institutions. The programme is supported by Allstate NI, Devenish, FinTrU, Fujitsu NI, Ulster Carpets, the Irish American Partnership, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney TD, said:

“Congratulations to the Fellows who have graduated from this programme. The pandemic has continued to create uncertainty for all of us, and it is a great achievement to have brought it to this milestone.”

“The Fellowship has provided participants with opportunities to talk about key issues that are important to their communities and the space to think about the kind of leadership that’s needed to work through them. I am glad that my department’s Reconciliation Fund has been able to support this important work.”

“At times, it’s so easy to focus entirely on differences and divergence. When we spend time with each other, we can recognise the greater agenda of things where we’re all working to the same goals. I would like to thank both the Fellows and the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building for their extraordinary work in these challenging circumstances.”

John Healy, Managing Director at Allstate NI and Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board, said:

“I was thrilled to speak at the Fellowship graduation ceremony in what was a special ceremony held at Hillsborough Castle. This event celebrated the success of the first Fellowship programme which we hope will give our mid-career political and civic leaders the knowledge, skills, and relationships they require to lead Northern Ireland into the next decade.”

“This year’s Fellows have been a credit to themselves and their organisation throughout the programme. Their open-mindedness, diligence and determination led to invigorating conversations on the collective challenges we face in Northern Ireland and beyond. On behalf of the Advisory Board, I would like to thank them for their hard work over the course of this year’s Fellowship, and I look forward to seeing what each Fellow is set to achieve as their career progresses.”

Karise Hutchinson, Professor of Leadership at Ulster University and Vice-Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board, said:

“It has been both an honour and a privilege to serve as Vice Chair of the Advisory Board for this year’s Fellowship programme. When we set out in this journey, we wanted to start a new conversation in Northern Ireland, one that explores the Spirit of Possibility and the new, innovative method of thinking we need to meet the challenges of today. With thought-provoking discussions throughout, each Fellowship filled me with optimism that Northern Ireland’s future leaders can navigate us through the complexity we are facing in the years to come.”

“I was very proud to congratulate this year’s Fellows at the graduation ceremony, and I wish them all the very best as they continue to work for their organisation or community.”

Dominic O’Reilly, Centre for Democracy and Peace Building Fellow, said:

“Since the start of the Fellowship programme in September, I have found myself developing and growing in ways which I had not anticipated, learning and unlearning, challenging, and validating. While each Fellow comes from a diverse background, we all share a common goal and purpose: to make this place we each call home better, for everyone.”

Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston, Centre for Democracy and Peace Building Fellow, said:

“I am very proud to be a graduate of the first Fellowship programme. I have formed what would be unlikely friendships and have grown to value difference. Each event, speaker, and discussion throughout this year’s Fellowship has continually shown the value of collaboration to address the challenges we face in Northern Ireland.”

AI Con platforms the opportunities for Northern Ireland to lead in AI

Peter Campbell, Kainos; Nuala Kilmartin, Innovate UK; Tim Brundle, Ulster University; and Courtney Lewis, Datactics

AI Con, the leading conference on artificial intelligence, returns to face-to-face business today with a hybrid event at Titanic Belfast.

In its third year, the event will unite world-leading technology professionals and business leaders to examine how artificial intelligence is changing our world and the opportunities and challenges it presents.

The conference takes place as the Global AI Index places the UK as the third best country for excelling in investment, innovation and implementation of Artificial Intelligence by Tortoise Media.

Designed for a general, tech and business audience, AI Con follows the themes of Applied AI, AI Next and the Business of AI. It will examine everything from how AI can add value to organisations, to the next generation of AI and what startups in the space should know.

Supported by Innovate UK, Invest NI and Belfast City Council, the conference featured some of the top figures in the field, with other leading professionals, including from Microsoft and AWS, streaming in from across the globe.

AI Con is also supported by Kainos, Ulster University, Matrix, Allstate Northern Ireland, Digital Catapult NI and Datactics.

Speaking at AI Con, Director of Innovation at Kainos Tom Gray said:

“The importance of AI as a tool for improving how we do things in both business and wider society is still emerging. It is welcome that the United Kingdom has been recognised as the third best country for their application of AI in the latest update of the Global AI Index. But much needs to be done, especially in Northern Ireland.”

“The UK has an ambitious AI strategy that gives Northern Ireland both the permission to be ambitious and the opportunity to be seen to lead in the application of AI. Northern Ireland needs to do more. We heard from both Scotland and the Republic of Ireland on how they have created Centres for Applied AI. Northern Ireland has failed to deliver this for the third year running.”

“AI Con has been an opportunity to showcase new developments in AI that can support societal and economic recovery. With Belfast now being a recognised tech hub, and with more and more businesses choosing Northern Ireland, AI Con platformed debate to ignite discussion and the sharing of ideas with a bigger audience.”

Dr Kathryn Harkin, Senior Manager at Allstate Northern Ireland commented:

“We are thrilled to have been involved in this year’s AI Con following hugely successful events over the last three years. A key challenge for business is understanding the benefits of deploying AI. That is why conversations between technology and business leaders are needed now more than ever to open more opportunities for businesses as the focus turns to economic recovery.”

Artificial Intelligence can help businesses thrive

As originally appeared on Sync NI, Thursday 2 December

Fiona Browne, Head of Software Development and ML at Datactics

The coronavirus pandemic produced challenges not one of us could have expected. While some sense of normality is returning, many businesses still face an uphill battle to recover. Artificial Intelligence Technology, however, presents a solution for firms hoping to thrive once again. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used for predictive tasks from fraud detection through to medical analytics. A key component of AI is the underlying data. Data impacts predictions, scalability and fairness of AI systems. As we move towards data-centric AI, having good quality, fair, representative, reliable and complete data will provide firms with a strong foundation to undertake tasks such as decision making and knowledge to strengthen their competitive position. In fact, AI solutions can be used to improve data quality when applied to tasks such as data labelling, accuracy, consistency, and completeness of data.

AI can help businesses not only improve and integrate data, but it will help their business grow through cost reduction and profit enhancement by reducing annual tasks. It has been predicted by Gartner that the business value created by AI will reach $3.9 trillion in 2022.

Businesses thrive with AI. It can automate financial forecasting, giving them greater visibility of their future finances and in turn empowering business owners to make better decisions and take actions to achieve their ultimate goals.

A key challenge for organisations is understanding the business objectives of deploying AI solutions. Therefore, moving away from using AI for technology sake towards awareness of what is feasible and how AI can be harnessed to address these objectives. This is a significant stumbling block for businesses to understand the benefits it can bring to their organisation.

The perceived lack of access to technology and need for copious amounts of data to train machine learning models are other stumbling blocks. We must bust the myth that AI is hard to access, for instance open source projects such as TensorFlow through to Microsoft Azure ML and Amazon Sage Maker are simplifying the process of building, deploying and monitoring machine learning models in production. Most companies don’t know this or how to take advantage of AI cost effective nature.

Even though accessing the technology is easy, using it is less so. Vendors are investing heavily in making the technology more accessible to non-expert users and have overall made great strides in making AI accessible.

That is why the upcoming AI Con Conference on 3 December at Titanic Belfast is so important. It gives us the perfect opportunity to discuss the benefits of AI for local firms.

Bringing together business leaders with world-leading technology professionals, AI Con will examine how artificial intelligence is changing our world and the opportunities and challenges it presents.

The themes for this year’s conference, which hosted 450 attendees in its first year and 800 in a virtual format last year, include Applied AI, AI Next and the Business of AI. These are designed for a general audience, tech audience and business audience respectively, and encompass everything from how AI can add value to organisations to what start-ups in the space should know.

The importance of AI cannot be disputed. AI Con will provide us with an opportunity to showcase the very best of AI. With Belfast now being a recognised tech hub, AI Con provides the perfect opportunity to foster debate and discussion around the benefits AI provides for business. Engagement with key business leaders and organisations is an essential part of that.

To find out more information about this year’s AI Con visit, www.aicon2021.com.

A regional strategy is needed for a strong and sustainable artificial intelligence future

As originally appeared on the News Letter website, Wednesday 1 December

Dr Kathryn Harkin, Senior Manager at Allstate Northern Ireland

Across all sectors, we are seeing how digital technologies can completely reimagine the business landscape. With new developments and opportunities for the future constantly emerging, the scope to which technology can enhance our world appears limitless. While not always clear at first glance, the area of artificial intelligence (AI) is integral to much of this.

We see evidence of that today, where things that seemed impossible a decade ago are now taken for granted. This dynamic environment provides new challenges and risks, as well as opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship to create value and positive impact.

But, to take advantage of our new dynamic environment, we need a regional strategy that is clear and financially supported to build a strong and sustainable AI future.

The UK has a clear and reasonable strategy which recognises the power of AI to increase resilience, productivity, growth, and innovation across the private and public sectors. This must act as a foundation for the development of a regional strategy that is responsive and reflective of AI needs in Northern Ireland.

One section of this strategy must be a commitment to skills development. As a member of the Economic Advisory Group advising on the Skills Agenda for the Northern Ireland Economy, I know the challenge in front of us.

Northern Ireland has a high proportion of people with low-level qualifications. By 2030, it is estimated we will have the fourth highest proportion of low qualified people of the sixteen Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Countries.

To grow the AI sector further, we must invest in the skills of our people to secure the next generation of talent. While our Further Education Colleges and two main Universities are the engines to which investment must be made, AI does not just rest on technical skills, but a full spectrum of skills from ethical to legal to commercial. This must be reflected in any proposed strategy.

This year’s AI Con will be the perfect opportunity to discuss, with technologists in the sector, what will be required.  

Set to return on 3 December with a hybrid format at Titanic Belfast, the event will bring together world-leading technology professionals and business leaders to examine how artificial intelligence is changing our world and the opportunities and challenges it presents.

The themes for this year’s conference, which hosted 450 attendees in its first year and 800 in a virtual format last year, include Applied AI, AI Next and the Business of AI. These are designed for a general audience, tech audience and business audience respectively, and encompass everything from how AI can add value to organisations, to what start-ups in the space should focus on.

The importance of AI can no longer be disputed. AI Con will provide us with an opportunity to showcase the very best of AI. With Belfast now being a recognised tech hub, it provides the perfect opportunity to foster debate and discussion. Engagement with key business leaders and organisations is an essential part of that.

To find out more information about this year’s AI Con visit, www.aicon2021.com.

Allstate NI invests in future talent with 100 student and graduate opportunities this year

Talent and Acquisition Consultant at Allstate NI Shannon Ellis and Vice President and Managing Director of Allstate NI John Healy pictured with recent recruits to graduate roles within the company.

One of Northern Ireland’s largest employers, Allstate NI, has responded to the digital transformation of the economy by creating 100 roles for students and graduates since the summer of 2021.

The technology giant, which employs over 2,500 people in Northern Ireland, is currently bringing on 100 individuals for early career opportunities, including graduate roles, placements, internships and apprenticeships.

The drive follows a report by public policy forum Pivotal in August that found that over two-thirds of students who study outside Northern Ireland continue to live away from home after graduation. To address this educational migration and create a digitally competent workforce, Allstate included a landmark number of student and graduate opportunities in 2021.

Investing in areas where significant growth is expected, the company is creating roles in edge technologies, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and cybersecurity. Allstate is also recruiting for entry-level positions, internships and yearlong placements in data science and business analytics.

This focus on student recruitment builds on Allstate’s work throughout the past number of years, including recruiting over 300 individuals since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Over 20% of employees have also been promoted in 2021.

Winner of Digital DNA’s Workplace of the Year 2020, Allstate operates a flexible, employee-led working policy that allows individuals to design their arrangements around their personal lives. Staff at Allstate NI also get 15 hours of volunteering time per year to give back to the community.

To find out more about current opportunities at Allstate, visit: https://www.allstateni.com/careers.aspx

Vice President and Managing Director of Allstate Northern Ireland John Healy said:

“At Allstate, investing in the technological engineers of the future is something we have been passionate about for a long time. As we continue our steady emergence from the pandemic, business is not standing still. Modern technology is fast moving, and the demand for a digitally competent workforce is growing. With significant aspirations for the future, we’re investing in learning and are delighted to accelerate our student recruitment.”

Bronagh Doherty, Graduate Full Stack Developer at Allstate NI added:

“I was determined to find a role in which I could advance my skills and knowledge from university while still maintaining a work-life balance. At Allstate, challenge, opportunity and progression are a part of the experience, and I am encouraged to build my working life around what’s important to me.”

Leaders face new scale of challenge in managing a workforce beyond walls writes Donal Laverty, Consulting Partner at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore

As originally appeared in the Irish News, Tuesday 30 November

Donal Laverty, Consulting Partner at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore

The changing world of work has been a principal point of debate for some time now. As business continues in the shadows of the greatest disruption of our time, many companies have opted to set out their stall on the hybrid working, modern business model agenda.

Though no one could blame those at the helm for wishing to draw a line in the sand and move on, the disruption to working life is unlikely to settle for some time. To navigate this, businesses require a new and improved type of leadership, and one that can effectively manage a workforce beyond walls.

Underpinning the well-worn logistical considerations of staff productivity and use of office space that frame this debate, there is a shift in the psychological contract that exists between employer and employee.

No doubt amplified by the ongoing resurgence of the job market; employee expectations have been altered by the great disruptor that is Covid-19. Both candidates and retained staff are seeking a sense of security and comfort that no matter their flexible working requirements, their employment will remain stable.

Given the untold levels of disruption to every aspect of how we work and live, this desire for a psychological safety net among employees adds a new dimension to business leadership.

For owners and managers, there is an awareness that every decision they make will have influence on the ebb and flow of productivity within their business. Some will be reluctant to give up the level of oversight that is possible with office working, while others will bet all their chips on the greater levels of staff contentment, and subsequent output rates, that they feel will come with a more home-based approach.

Whatever way you look at it, however, there is another side to the coin and some businesses will no doubt see a drop in creativity and productivity, while employees at home miss out on the social opportunities that come with work.

That is why, as society understandably pushes towards the end of the tunnel, our leaders must take a purposeful pause to let the dust settle on a time that severed all we knew to be normal about working life.

Going forward, the purpose of the business must be at the heart of operational decision making. Covid put an end to any sense of belonging and predictability we thought we knew, leaving leaders with structures no longer defined by the physical space they occupy, but rather by their ultimate end product or service.

If a business premises is not directly relevant to that purpose, it will otherwise be defined by its success, efficiency, and of course the contentment of the people within. Organisations therefore need to sit tight and let things stabilise, in order to understand their critical levers for change and put in place that all important forward plan.

Paired with the inevitable growth in competition and the ever-changing official guidance around office working, businesses face a new scale of challenge, with the onus very much upon each individual employer to do what is best for their company.

Managing this transformation and guiding an organisation through a period of continuous change therefore places a new type of pressure on leaders. At a CO3 seminar this week, we will discuss how best to respond, reset and reinvent your approach in the face of significant change. Find out more: https://www.co3.bz/event/responding-resetting-and-reinventing-%E2%80%93-looking-beyond-hybrid-working-and-managing

Further Education providing leading pathways to skilled workforce of the present and future - by Leo Murphy, Principal and Chief Executive of North West Regional College

As originally appeared in the Irish News on 30 November

As we enter into the recovery period, and life slowly begins to resemble normality, the six Further Education Colleges are primed and ready to continue to be key talent drivers providing the experts needed to plug the skills gaps emerging across our economy.

From BTEC courses in construction, health and social care, joinery and hospitality, to Higher Level Apprenticeships in FinTech, Accountancy and IT, the Further Education Sector is ensuring that the next generation of workforces are well equipped with the skills and know-how to add value to their sectors and thus the wider economy.

Each year, our sector, which injects £126m annually to the local economy, supports over 60,000 student reach their fullest potential in whatever career path they choose. This is achieved through dedicated courses and connections with over 9,000 employers across the country who are well-placed to offer valuable on-the-job training to our leaners and enable them to be ‘work-ready’ as well as industry leading lecturers training our students in what our employers need.  

As our sector works to ensure that we are providing this key talent, the ongoing economic recovery must look to new ways of ensuring growth across Northern Ireland. With huge changes in approaches to working we can already see how more and more businesses are committed to hybrid models of working post-pandemic, meaning a shift in people from densely populated centres to more rural locations. The Further Education colleges are committed to building a regionally balanced economy through providing these skilled workers in all our towns, cities and villages – however investment must be made to ensure these skills are adequately built upon.

Reviews of the education system show that post-16, more direction and investment needs to be pointed towards vocational study which offers young people options beyond academia and provides the key skills and knowledge to take up roles in many of the key economic driving sectors including manufacturing, fintech and health care. This can be done through the thorough implementation of the long awaited 14-19 Strategy and the investment in courses that allow students to access that real life working experience which sets our learners apart and gives them those vital skills to make them the key drivers in our economy.

Work must commence to ensure young people are made aware of the array of resources, courses and qualifications on offer across the six Further Education Colleges that will lead to fulfilling vocational careers. There is much discussion on the perceived ‘Brain Drain’ of our young people who move away for university. Our solution to this issue is enhanced awareness of the local further education system and what it can offer our young learners at a fraction of the cost.

Our schools have a duty to work in partnership with local Further Education Colleges to provide our young people with the information on options that are best suited for them. It will help set some of our younger generations on the right pathway which will be both right for them and create added value to our local economy and in turn society.

Tax implications a vital aspect of Christmas planning, says Belfast accountancy and advisory firm

Angela Keery, Head of Tax at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore

Ahead of the festive season, Belfast accountancy and advisory firm Baker Tilly Mooney Moore is urging businesses to consider their taxation obligations when planning their long-awaited festive celebrations and corporate gifting plans.

Head of Tax at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore Angela Keery said:

“If a work Christmas party is on your agenda, the tax implications will be the last thing you consider when arranging venues and purchasing gifts for employees or clients. With all the good intentions, however, rewarding staff and clients at Christmas can still leave you on the wrong side of your taxation obligations.”

“Getting this wrong can be costly to both you and potentially your employees, meaning that any goodwill generated in the festive period would surely be lost if they are faced with the tax bill for the privilege. Here, I set out how best to remain compliant and legal when arranging celebrations or purchasing gifts for employees or clients.”

Remaining Tax Compliant at Christmas:

• Provided the party or function is an annual event, this will qualify as a tax-free benefit if open to all staff, not just directors, and all events in the year come at a cost of less than £150 per person including VAT. This should cover any related costs such as food, drink, transport, and overnight accommodation. If you go over the £150, however, then none of it is exempt, so it is important we don’t party too hard.

• If you hold more than one annual event in the year, all will be exempt if the combined costs do not exceed the £150 and they are made available to all staff. If not, you may need to choose an event covered by the annual exemption where costs are below £150 per head, and the other events will be a taxable benefit for your employees.

• In addition to the Christmas party, many employers will also be considering making gifts to their staff. The tax treatment of gifts will depend on who will be receiving it, be that employees or customers.

• If opting for a Christmas bonus, these must be treated in the normal way and remain subject to tax and national insurance.

• Gifts to employees such as hampers will be tax free, provided they fall within the ‘trivial benefit’ exemption. This applies when the cost including VAT does not exceed £50; it is not cash or a cash voucher that could be exchanged for cash; it is not provided in recognition of past or future services by the employee and they are not already entitled to this within their contractual arrangement. Where the employer is a ‘close’ company and the benefit is provided to a director, the total value of trivial benefits they can receive in a tax year cannot exceed £300.

• In terms of gifts from third parties, such as suppliers or customers, employees can receive vouchers without tax as long as they do not exceed £250. This must be genuinely intended as a gift, however, and not provided in recognition for services rendered.

• While gifts to employees are tax deductible for a business, gifts provided to third parties are not an allowable expense, unless the cost does not exceed £50 (per person, per period), bears the name or logo of the business and does not include food, drink, or tobacco.

• Still apprehensive about your tax implications? Contact the tax team at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore on 028 9032 3466 to find out more.