Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme

Information

The Vocational Training and Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) provides a range of courses to meet the education and training needs of unemployed people. If you are over 21 years of age, unemployed and have been getting certain social welfare payments for at least 6 months you can apply for the VTOS scheme. The scheme gives participants opportunities to improve their general level of education, gain certification, develop their skills and prepare for employment, self-employment and further education and training.  VTOS is operated through the vocational education committees (VECs) and it is aimed in particular at unemployed people who are early school leavers.

What kind of courses are available?

The courses range from basic education and training to advanced vocational training. There is a wide choice of subjects available. The courses are full-time, about 30 hours a week, for example, 6 hours a day for 5 days. The courses can last for up to 2 years and many of them lead to qualifications such as the Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate and the FETAC awards at Level 3, 4, and 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications. You can find a list of VTOS courses on the Qualifax website.

Budget 2010: change to VTOS

The 2010 Budget introduced the following change to the rule for VTOS, with effect from 2010:

• People getting VTOS allowances for PLC courses will no longer be eligible for student support grants. However, this does not affect any entitlement they may have to exemption from college fees or student support charges. 

Rules

You may qualify for the VTOS scheme if you are aged 21 years or over and you are:

• Getting, Jobseeker’s Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance or signing for credits for at least 6 months or
• Getting One-Parent Family Payment, Disability Allowance, Illness Benefit* or Invalidity Pension for at least 6 months or
• Getting Blind Person’s Pension, Deserted Wife’s Allowance/Benefit, Widow's/Widower's Contributory Pension, Widow's/Widower's Non-Contributory Pension or Prisoner’s Wife’s Allowance for at least 6 months (conditions may apply in the case of these payments) or
• A dependent spouse of an eligible person for at least 6 months

Periods spent on FÁS training courses, Community Employment Schemes, Job Initiative, Youthreach programmes and time in prison can count towards the qualifying period.

* If you are claiming Illness Benefit, you should contact your local social welfare office about exemption/entitlement to continuation of your Illness Benefit payment. 
 

Rates

If you are getting Jobseeker’s Assistance or Jobseeker’s Benefit, you will instead get a training allowance at a rate equivalent to the maximum rate of Jobseeker’s Benefit. VTOS training allowances are not taxable.

If you are getting one of the other eligible social welfare payments you will get a payment equivalent to the maximum rate of your current social welfare payment. You will continue to receive it and all other payments from the Department of Social Protection.

From 2010 people on PLC courses who are getting VTOS allowances will no longer be eligible for student support grants.

There are no fees for VTOS courses and you will get free books and materials at the start of the course. Depending on your individual circumstances you may be eligible for the following:

• Meal allowance
• Travel allowance
• Contribution to childcare costs
• A training bonus payment of €31.80 if you have been getting an eligible social welfare payment for at least 12 months before starting the VTOS scheme. 

More detailed information about the rates of payment for VTOS participants is on the Department of Social Protection website.

How to apply

You can participate in the VTOS scheme in one of the following ways; you can be either:

• A core VTOS student attending a VTOS centre or adult education centre or
• A dispersed VTOS student, usually attending a Post-Leaving Certificate course in a further education college.

There is a list of frequently asked questions about VTOS on the VTOS website.
Contact the VTOS co-ordinator at your local VTOS centre to find out more about the VTOS courses available.