According to the last census in 2011, around a quarter of working-age adults born in Northern Ireland were living in England and Wales. There are various reasons why they moved – family, education, employment, issues relating to the Troubles are a few. 

As a post-COVID-19 world begins to reopen, however, rates of migration may be set to rise – and with them, challenges to NI’s economy and communities. 

At a time when changes forced by Brexit, Covid-19 and how we engage with technology are shaping Northern Ireland beyond recognition, stagnation of our political and societal divisions isn’t encouraging. When it comes to academic opportunity, according to a report released this week by the think tank Pivotal, demand for university places in NI far outstrips supply of places. It’s estimated that for every 100 home applicants there were only 60 available places in 2018/2019. 

As lockdown restrictions ease and opportunities to study, work and live elsewhere increase, so should the urgency to prevent NI becoming a stepping stone for future generations.

When we talk about building back better post-pandemic, this should mean making Northern Ireland more satisfying for everyone who lives here and more welcoming for outsiders to come and thrive. To consider how this can be done, as part of the Imagine! Festival of Ideas and Politics, Northern Slant is bringing together political, business and community experts for the discussion, Post-Pandemic Northern Ireland: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Challenges are numerous but not insurmountable. Here are some themes we could consider.

Our ‘Post-Pandemic NI’ panellists (top left to bottom right): Ailbhe Rea; Laney Lenox; Tina McKenzie; Charmain Jones. Book your ticket on the Imagine! website here.

Prioritise a Talent Strategy

Pivotal’s report highlights the need for a strategy to optimise the contribution graduates can make to Northern Ireland’s economic growth. Calling for the NI Executive to put in place a policy to retain or regain local talent, it said, should also be central to help address low levels of productivity and human capital. Beyond economic benefits, the report cites higher education as a vital catalyst for social mobility, social cohesion and social change.

Invest in Infrastructure

Students and graduates expect excellent infrastructure and facilities associated with cities, such as reliable transport and broadband, the Pivotal report says. In Northern Ireland enhanced regional infrastructure and growth is even more vital, given clear regional inequalities and skills imbalances.

The need to invest in infrastructure has been raised time and again on Northern Slant. Given NI’s severe lack of railway infrastructure, James McMordie highlighted how rebuilding part of the old Belfast and County Down Railway could give thousands of residents to the East a fast link into the city centre, reduce congestion, create jobs and protect the environment. The case for rail investment west of the River Bann is even more pressing, particularly given the Executive’s pledge to expand Ulster University’s Magee campus to an overall student number of 10,000 as part of the New Decade, New Approach Deal.

Following last year’s collapse of Flybe, an airline which had accounted for three-quarters of movements at George Best Belfast City Airport, Peter Moor explored the need for greater connectivity in the air as well as on the ground. As well as the clear economic case for increased investment, he wrote, transport can also help greatly with social mobility, ensuring the vulnerable and elderly don’t become isolated. To persuade people of all ages to stay, particularly in rural areas, connectivity of all sorts will only increase in importance.

Build Community Relations Back Better

With technology making geographic location less directly linked to employment opportunities, potential exists for both attracting newcomers and offering a better quality of working life to those already here. But only by addressing our continued political and social divisions – and building improved community relations – can we forge a Northern Ireland that’s welcoming and attractive for everyone.

Join us at the Imagine! Festival

How can all this – and more – be done? Join Northern Slant’s Julia Flanagan and guests on Saturday at 3pm-4.10pm to find out more. You can book your ticket on the Imagine! website here.

Note: This discussion was recorded before the launch of Pivotal’s Retaining and Regaining Talent in Northern Ireland report mentioned in this article.

Also published on Medium.