The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), (Irish: An Roinn Fostaíochta agus Foghlama;[3] Ulster Scots: Depairtment for Employ an Learnin),[4] was a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive.

DEL's overall aim was to "promote learning and skills, to prepare people for work and to support the economy".

[5] The department's network of 'job centres' and 'jobs and benefits offices' advertised job opportunities for Northern Ireland residents.

[7] DEL's main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government were: In the Irish Government, its main counterparts were: Following a referendum on the Belfast Agreement on 23 May 1998 and the granting of royal assent to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on 19 November 1998, a Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive were established by the United Kingdom Government under Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The process was known as devolution and was set up to return devolved legislative powers to Northern Ireland.