Education & Training

Springboard Initiative

The objective of Springboard is to help unemployed people to remain as close as possible to the labour market by accessing part-time flexible higher education and training opportunities to upskill or reskill in areas where employment opportunities may arise as the economy recovers

 

Course you can apply for under this initiative.

Springboard is a government initiative managed by the HEA on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. It provides 5,900 funded part-time education and training opportunities in 34 educational institutions nationwide for people who are unemployed but looking for work while also allowing them to keep any unemployment benefits they are eligible for.

To be eligible to take up a Springboard course, the learner must meet one of the following criteria.

  • Be on the Live Register and claiming Jobseekers Allowance or Jobseekers Benefit for a minimum period of six months prior to the date of course commencement.

OR

  • Be on the Live Register and signing for credits for a minimum period of six months prior to the date of course commencement

OR

  • Be claiming One Parent Family Payment for a minimum period of six months prior to the date of course commencement

ALSO

  • Please note that for Level 9 courses a period of three years or more must have elapsed between the completion of your last Level 8 qualification and date of Springboard course commencement.

FINALLY

Each Springboard course has predetermined academic eligibility criteria that you must meet.

Please note that Springboard applicants must be unemployed for a minimum of six months and at the time of starting an approved course must be in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance, Jobseekers Benefit or One Parent Family Payment or be signing for contribution credits. However, in calculating the qualifying period of 6 months unemployed, time in receipt of any of the following allowances will also be taken into account:

  • Disability Allowance
  • Back to Education Allowance (BTEA)
  • Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA)
  • VTOS training allowance
  • FAS Training Allowance

The Part-Time Education Option (PTEO) scheme, overseen by the Department of Social Protection, enables Springboard participants in receipt of the Jobseekers Benefit and the Jobseekers Allowance to retain their payment where an entitlement to such a payment exists. If successful in gaining a place on a course you must continue to meet the conditions attached to these payments, including remaining available for work.

Closing date for receipt of Round 2 applications is Sunday 21st August 2011.

All applicants will apply for Springboard courses using www.BlueBrick.ie. Springboard on www.BlueBrick.ie is a free user-friendly one-stop-shop which allows you to search, compare and apply for all 200+ courses in the Springboard initiative.

http://www.bluebrick.ie

Job Bridge

JobBridge is a new National Internship Scheme that will provide work experience placements for interns for a 6 or 9 month period.

The aim of the National Internship Scheme is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills. The scheme will also give people a real opportunity to gain valuable experience to bridge the gap between study and the beginning of their working lives.

The scheme will provide for up to 5,000 work experience placements in the private, public and voluntary sectors. This will be a time-limited scheme. Interns will receive an allowance of €50 per week on top of their existing social welfare entitlement. This will be payable for the period of the internship.

Download general guidelines

http://www.jobbridge.ie/

Related Links:

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