Boris backs Skill Exchange - FREE to all Ballymoney businesses

The hub was launched in November of last year by Ian Paisley with the objective of improving skills, driving employment and increasing competitiveness.

The hub is now open to all businesses in Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and around the North Antrim area, and is 100% free of charge and ready to join. Funding partners JTI, Michelin tyres, Moy Park, Wrightbus, Dunbia and the Northern Regional College have taken it upon themselves to create an innovative and exciting skills hub for the area, through which they hope to generate more business and expertise for the area.

The hub currently offers a whole range of skills and resources open to all businesses for absolutely no charge whatsoever, an incredible free outlet of skills provided by the founding partners. Some of these include management practices, sales and marketing, customer service, production workflow, finance-cash flow, training and many more. All details and an easy joining process can be found at www.skillexchangeuk.org/ballymena

Before writing in the letter his desire to now bring Skill Exchange UK to London after monitoring its progress in Ballymena, Mayor Boris Johnson said: “With the support of employers and the regional college, the Ballymena hub is clearly well placed to play a key role in making the most of the skills of the local people. I wish the hub every success.”

The MP for North Antrim commented: “What our local employers, the NRC, Council and Chamber of Commerce have done for North Antrim is absolutely phenomenal. They have created an absolutely free, ready to join skills hub that has a tremendous array of skills and information that all businesses in the area are now able to benefit from right away.

“I encourage all businesses, large or small in the North Antrim region, to sign on to the website for Skill Exchange Ballymena and join for free a very special opportunity to develop grow your business with the help of the skills and expertise you may need to prosper. We must do all we can to help our town grow and strengthen.”