The Making Belfast Work (MBW) initiative was launched in July 1988 to strengthen and target more effectively the efforts being made by the community, the private sector and the Government in addressing the economic, educational, social, health and environmental problems facing the people living in the most disadvantaged areas of Belfast.

Children and Young People

The MBW initiative will give high priority to children and young people, in the spirit of the Children and Young People Report launched towards the end of 1994. "A new deal for children and young people in North and West Belfast" promotes a commonly agreed framework of principles for the design and delivery of programmes of action and additional dedicated resources. Through their endorsement of the New Deal Policy Framework agencies and groups of statutory, voluntary and community sectors will be establishing a common set of aims, objectives and principles which they will seek to achieve collaboratively.

The world of well paid work tomorrow is one of knowledge-based industries, requiring good educational qualifications, high skills, enterprise and initiative. In this respect, the future of the city depends greatly on having an articulate well educated and motivated young population which can maximize economic growth at local level and in the city as a whole. Policies which support young people, address under achievement in school, and raise their expectations will be a dominant theme in MBW programmes in the future years. The pre-school age group will be a major target given the evidence that increased support provides long-term benefits in terms of improved educational performance.