COMMUNITY

Although Titanic Quarter is creating a new urban centre in the heart of Belfast, it is also establishing a new community that will be part of day-to-day life in the city. 

Bringing Titanic Quarter to life isn't just about bricks and mortar, it's about fostering a sense of community, and ensuring that existing communities can benefit from and be part of the development.  Titanic Quarter's integrated approach recognises the importance of the economic, social and regional cohesion aspects of regeneration.  

We are committed to engaging with the people of Belfast, particularly those from socially disadvantaged communities, and encouraging them to avail of opportunities in Titanic Quarter.  To achieve this, we work with the public, private, voluntary and community sector organisations to support Community, Employment and Employability Initiatives.

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

Titanic Quarter is working closely with relevant organisations throughout Belfast, especially those in neighbouring east Belfast.  Key partner organisations include Belfast's five area-based Partnerships, the Department for Employment & Learning, Belfast City Council and numerous voluntary and community based organisations.  Titanic Quarter is keen to keep local communities appraised of developments and to ensure that it has strong physical links to the city centre, and arterial routes to the other areas of the city.

Specific initiatives include support for the Newtownards Road 2012 project which is helping regenerate one of Belfast's busiest arterial routes and strengthening links between Titanic Quarter and east Belfast.

Titanic Quarter also recently assisted the West Belfast & Greater Shankill Enterprise Council in its preparation of a business-led masterplan to help link West Belfast to the city and Titanic Quarter.

East Belfast Partnership has secured funding from Titanic Quarter towards staff costs, to help ensure east Belfast benefits from the regeneration of the Titanic Quarter area.

With Titanic Quarter's emergence as a desirable film making location for Hollywood movie makers, including most recently Tom Hanks' ‘City of Ember', Titanic Quarter has joined forces with Cinemagic and Fairplay Pictures to host masterclasses for young people from all parts of the city.

Support has also been given to Titanic related events, including the Belfast Titanic Society's ‘Titanic Achievement Awards'.

EMPLOYMENT & EMPLOYABILITY

It is anticipated that the regeneration of Titanic Quarter will result in more than 20,000 new jobs and 15,000 construction jobs.  Titanic Quarter will offer a huge variety of employment opportunities, particularly in light industries such as health and environmental technology, ICT and the growing business, financial, hospitality, tourism, leisure and ancillary service industries.

To help ensure that local communities can access jobs generated by Titanic Quarter we are devising a detailed Employment and Employability Strategy to be published in mid 2008. 

The strategy will set out how Titanic Quarter will engage with new employers locating in the area and promote jobs to those seeking work, particularly the unemployed, long term unemployed and economically inactive. 

Titanic Quarter will work in partnership with the public sector and relevant community and voluntary sector organisations to develop employability initiatives to help people access jobs as they arise. 

It is envisaged that the strategy will deliver a series of pre-recruitment training projects specifically devised for Titanic Quarter employers with the aim of providing local people with access to employment opportunities.

Titanic Quarter already partners initiatives such as the ‘Stepping Stones Project' to help the economically inactive long term unemployed secure work and has also sponsored the 2008 Gems NI Jobsfair.

The relocation of Belfast Metropolitan College, formerly BIFHE, to Titanic Quarter, is also expected to play a key role  in helping Titanic Quarter achieve its employment and employability objectives.

For further information on Titanic Quarter's Employment & Employability Strategy please email anne.harty@titanicquarter.com.