Third-level and retraining places for jobseekers
Introduction
If you are unemployed, you may want to continue your education or take part in a training course so as to develop your skills and improve your chances of getting back to work. There are several ways in which you can go back to education.
The Springboard initiative provides free, part-time higher education courses for people who are unemployed – see below.
The Labour Market Activation Fund and the Back to College Initiative for Jobseekers offered courses previously – see ‘Earlier schemes' below.
Springboard 2012
The second year of the Springboard programme was announced in May 2012. It provides places for unemployed people on a range of part-time courses from certificate to master's degree levels - Levels 6 to 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications. Most of the courses last one year or less.
The programme is aimed at people who have previously been employed in construction, manufacturing or other sectors of the economy where employment levels are unlikely to recover to pre-recession levels.
There are 6,000 places on over 200 courses in 2012. The eligibility criteria have been expanded to include people on payments such as Disability Allowance and Carer’s Allowance and people who were previously self-employed – see ‘Who is eligible?’ below.
Courses are offered in information and communications technology (ICT); the green economy, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and international financial services. Programmes are also available in cross-enterprise skills such as Six Sigma; lean and quality systems; international selling; languages; business start-up and entrepreneurship skills.
Most of the courses will start in September 2012, but some start in June 2012. Details on courses available and eligibility are on springboardcourses.ie.
Who is eligible?
General rules
In general, in order to qualify for Springboard you must be unemployed, with a previous history of employment, and you must be actively seeking work and available to take up work.
At the time of starting a Springboard course, you must either be getting a qualifying social welfare payment or be in one of the other eligible categories listed below. The qualifying social welfare payments are:
- Jobseeker’s Benefit
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Disability Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Farm Assist/Fish Assist
- Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
- Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension
- Blind Pension
- Deserted Wife’s Allowance
Other eligible categories
You can also apply for Springboard if:
- You were formerly self-employed, but are now unemployed and actively seeking work, even if you are not getting a social welfare payment
- You are a qualified adult of working age (under 66) on someone else’s social welfare payment
- You are signing for social insurance credits
- You are on short time working and getting a jobseeker’s payment
You are also eligible for Springboard (with approval from a Department of Social Protection Facilitator) if you are on one of the following schemes or payments:
- Community Employment
- Rural Social Scheme
- Tús
- JobBridge
- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
- Short-Term Enterprise Allowance
Rates
If you take up a Springboard course, you can keep your existing social welfare payment if you continue to fulfil the conditions for the payment.
You do not have to pay any course fees or charges while you are unemployed. If you take up a job while on a course, Springboard will also fund the fees for the full academic year. If your course extends into another academic year(s) the amount of fees payable will be a matter for your college to decide.
As Springboard courses are all part-time, you are not eligible for a student grant or the Back to Education Allowance.
How to apply
To apply for a Springboard course, you choose the course(s) you are interested in on springboardcourses.ie and apply online, following the instructions on the website.
If you are getting a social welfare payment, you should notify your local social welfare office and check what further steps (if any) you need to take. For example, if you are getting Jobseeker’s Benefit or Allowance you must register for the Part-Time Education Option (PTEO) using the PTEO – Springboard 2012 form (pdf).
Further information
There are detailed Frequently Asked Questions on springboardcourses.ie. There is also a dedicated Springboard helpline at Freephone 1800 303 523.
Earlier schemes
Labour Market Activation Fund for 2010
The Labour Market Activation Fund (LMAF) provided 11,500 training and education places for jobseekers, ranging from Level 3 to Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications.
The last of the projects supported under LMAF were completed in June 2011. More details are available in the evaluation report (pdf) on the Fund.
Back to College Initiative for Jobseekers
This initiative offered 2,500 part-time third-level places to jobseekers for courses starting in September 2009 and lasting from 1 to 4 years. The scheme is closed to new entrants, but students already on the courses can complete them.
Under the Part-time Option of the Back to Education Programme you are entitled to keep your jobseeker's payment while you are on the course. People who were getting Jobseeker's Benefit when starting a course may later have become entitled to Jobseeker's Allowance.
If you took up a third-level place under this scheme you must continue to be available for and genuinely seeking work. If you get an offer of full-time work you must take up this employment offer. If you get a job before your course finishes you will not have to pay the course fees for that year.
As these are part-time courses, participants are not eligible for a student grant or the Back to Education Allowance.
Language
Related Documents
- Part-Time Education Option
You can keep your jobseeker's payment and take part in a part-time course to improve your chances of getting a job. Find out more. - Back to Education Programme
This Programme can support you to take part in educational and personal development courses to help you to access employment. - Looking for work: education and training
If you are unemployed there is a range of different education and training opportunities. These include courses specifically for unemployed people.
Contact Us
If you have a question relating to this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0761 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm) or you can visit your local Citizens Information Centre.