Executive Committee

As an employer-led organisation, Proskills works very closely with employers from across the process and manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland this is achieved through the Executive Committee which formally meets 3-4 times a year.

Outside of formal meeting employers are invited to get involved with consultations, reviews, surveys or projects. If you need advice or support around skills issues or negotiating the maze of public bodies you can always contact Diane Weatherup, Northern Ireland Manager 07795 011812 or diane.weatherup@proskills.co.uk

The Northern Ireland Executive Committee helps set the strategic direction for Proskills. Made up of employers in the main and supported by representatives from employer bodies, trade unions as well as training providers and colleges of further education, it is their task is to ensure that the objectives and solutions developed by Proskills remain aligned to the needs of Northern Ireland employers.

We are especially pleased to welcome Kevin Smyth as our new chairman.
See the IoD article on this in their April/May Issue here

Without the support of employers and other stakeholders these groups cannot fulfil their remit. It is therefore critical to their success that more employers from the Northern Ireland process and manufacturing sector get involved. To date we have a membership of over 30 employers on the Committee that come from a range of different sized businesses across the 9 industries represented by Proskills. In real terms, they only represent a small fraction of the total number of companies operating in Northern Ireland. To ensure a more complete coverage and ever more influential input, we need more employers to come forward and work with us.

Minutes of the previous Executive Committee meetings can be found here

Proskills Nation Lead:

To coordinate employer involvement as well as, operational and strategic engagement, each Nation has its own Lead within Proskills. For Northern Ireland this is Diane Weatherup. If you would like to get involved in shaping the future of your industry in Northern Ireland, contact Diane Weatherup on 07795 011812 or diane.weatherup@proskills.co.uk

Current Board Membership includes:


Names Organisations
Corr, Mairead P Clarke & Sons Ltd
Corry, Jill Cemex (NI) Ltd
Corry, Noel HMG Powder Coatings Ltd
Cross, Terry Delta Print and Packaging
Culley, Caroline Impro
Diamond, Chris Patrick Keenan Quarries
Doyle, Fergal Delta Print and Packaging
Gorman, Mervyn Boxpak
Haslett, Gary Acheson & Glover
Irwin, Julie Northstone Quarry & Asphelt Division
Lavery, Michael Glasseal
McGivern, Terry Smurfit Kappa
McGlone, Sinead Whitemountain Quarries Ltd
McKeague, Seamus Creagh Concrete Products Ltd
McLelland, Nichola W&G Baird
McNeill, Elaine Chesapeake
McMullen, Lorna Creagh Concrete Products Ltd
McParland, Marian Independent Glass (NI)
McStravick, Brenda Quinn Glass
Megarry, Jonathan Nicholson & Bass
Rafferty, Orla McMullen Architectural
Reid, Jackie Camden Group
Scholes, Clare Decora
Smyth, David Northstone Quarry & Asphelt Division
Smyth, Kevin Skyglaze Architectural Systems Ltd
Toner, Sinead Mivan
Young, Ian Turkington Windows and Conservatories

Current focus of Executive Committee includes:

  • Establish strategic issues facing the industry across the 4 nations relating to productivity, skills, qualifications and training provision
  • Act as Proskills ambassadors for your industry to encourage more employers to commit to training
  • Establishment of ‘Training for Success’ provision for the Extractive and Mineral Processing and Glass industries
  • Overcome all barriers to access to qualifications, ApprenticeshipsNI and funded initiatives, especially around the area of Essential Skills delivery
  • Development of training provision to meet PAS standards for Automotive Glazing
  • Development of Foundation Degrees and Diplomas across all industries
  • Gaining mutual recognition of NVQ qualifications with those in the Republic of Ireland, starting with Blasting Operations
  • Review and monitor current strategy and activity taking place within the industry and provide input at national level to inform future activity and developments
  • Establish programmes to promote careers in the industry and foster links between schools, employers and FE establishments
  • Sharing of best practice skills provision with the Republic of Ireland/Scotland
  • Implementation of the Sector Skills Agreement Action Plan for Northern Ireland
  • The implementation of the Sector Qualification Strategy for Northern Ireland