Ministers Bruton and Halligan Announce Further Competitive Call for Springboard+ 2018

Posted: 25 January, 2018

Courses to be available to all in employment for the first time

Government puts emphasis on importance of life long learning and upskilling

The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, together with the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, John Halligan TD today issued a competitive call to all Higher Education providers for course proposals which will be funded under Springboard+ 2018.

Springboard+ forms part of the Action Plan for Education, which aims to make the Irish education and training system the best in Europe within a decade.

Now in its eighth year, Springboard+ has to date provided 47,000 free higher education places, primarily to jobseekers in need of upskilling or reskilling to allow them to re-enter the labour market.
From last year, the eligibility criteria for Springboard+ was expanded to include homemakers and those in employment who wished to upskill or reskill to meet specific emerging skills needs in the ICT and Biopharma/Med Tech sectors.

This year, for the first time, Springboard+ courses will be extended so that all courses will now be open to people irrespective of their employment status.

• Level 6 courses will remain free to all participants.

• Returners and those in receipt of certain allowances, including Jobseekers Benefit, will continue to be able to access courses free of charge.

• For employed participants on courses NFQ level 7 – 9, 90% of the course fee will be funded by the Government, with participants required to contribute just 10% of the fee.

This change reflects the Government’s emphasis on the importance of life long learning and upskilling/reskilling throughout one’s career.

Speaking today Minister Bruton said “Springboard+ has proven extremely successful in preparing people to return to work during difficult economic times. As the economy recovered we expanded eligibility to those in employment who wished to work in the ICT and Medtech/Biopharma sectors. Since 2017 homemakers who wished to return to the workforce were also eligible. In addition to those already eligible for Springboard +, this year for the first time, access will be available for those in employment to the full range of Springboard+ courses, giving them the opportunity to upskill or reskill in areas of identified skills needs within the economy.

Springboard+ is a key part of the Government’s strategy to ensure we are planning for the future skills needs of our economy, which is critical to delivering on our ambitions as a nation. We need to continue to focus on ways to address skills needs that are arising due to both the changing world of work, and our welcome move towards full employment.”

Minister Halligan said “Springboard+ has been particularly successful at giving people the skills to get back into the workforce. 80% of Springboard+ participants (2011 – 2016) are no longer on the Live Register. I am delighted that, while continuing to support the unemployed and those seeking to return to the labour market, from 2018 we will be able to facilitate people in employment to avail of this initiative.”

The initiative is funded through the National Training Fund and the European Social Fund.

Notes to Editor:
Springboard+ provides free and 90% funded full-time and part-time higher education courses in areas where there are identified skills needs and/or employment opportunities. Courses to date have been delivered in areas such ICT, Manufacturing which includes the biopharma sector, Construction, Entrepreneurship, Cross-Enterprise Skills, the Hospitality Sector and International Financial Services.

Springboard+ courses which are at level 6 (higher certificate) to level 9 (masters degree) on the National Framework of Qualifications, are delivered by public and private higher education providers around the country.

Springboard+ incorporates the ICT skills conversion programme.

To be considered eligible for approval, Springboard+ courses must seek to address an identified current or future skills need.

Course proposals must be submitted online via http://skillsdirect.hea.ie
The closing date for submission of proposals is13.00 on Tuesday 6th March 2018.

Any queries on the Call process for 2017 must be emailed to springboard@hea.ie and responses will be made via email.

Decisions on proposals for funding will be made by a panel of experts with industry and educational expertise, supported by the HEA. An independent process auditor will oversee the assessment and selection process.

Candidates who wish to participate in Springboard+ 2018 will find full details on the approved courses on the dedicated information and applications website www.springboardcourses.ie during June 2018.

Springboard+ forms part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs, the Action Plan for Education and the National Skills Strategy. The Programme is funded through the National Training Fund and the European Social Fund.

The Call document and the ICT conversion guidance document are available at www.hea.ie

Further information, click here.