During our time working on-site in Belfast with Harland & Wolff, we had the opportunity to engage closely with both the local community and the workforce operating within the shipyard.
The project started in December 2023, with our team organising a job event at the Titanic Hotel to register candidates for work and help to prepare them to start work in January 2024. The event was designed to bring together candidates from the local community who were eager to find employment, offering them a space to register, connect with our team, and gain valuable insights into the opportunities available.
The team identified many time-served industrial painters who lacked formally recognised qualifications outside of Northern Ireland. To address this, we offered blended learning opportunities for those interested and also sourced funding for CSR cards for labourers on-site. Although not mandatory, we found them beneficial for our workforce. While we secured funding for Train the Painter cards, an end employer was required, something that could be revisited in future.
Monkstown Boxing Club is an integral part of the community in Belfast, helping to educate and mentor young people in the local area. We supported them by donating to their South Africa Exchange Project fundraising campaign as well as attending one of their Careers Fairs to register local candidates for work opportunities. We also organised several donations to local food banks in the area, engaging subcontractors on-site to encourage their participation and support. By fostering a sense of collective responsibility, we coordinated regular contributions tailored to the food banks’ specific needs.
All of these initiatives not only provided essential resources to the local community but also highlighted our commitment to social responsibility, collaborative impact, and our continued community involvement in Belfast.
Our collaboration extended beyond the immediate project objectives, as we partnered with a number of local organisations to strengthen community ties and create meaningful impact outside of the workplace. At the same time, we identified a clear opportunity to further support and upskill our workers on-site, particularly the industrial painters, whose specialist skills are vital to the success of shipbuilding and maintenance projects.
By continuing to align community involvement with workforce development, we were able to design and deliver a training programme that not only enhanced technical capabilities but also contributed to long-term career growth and resilience within the industry
