6,000 More Springboard Places

More good news as the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., and the Minister of State for Training and Skills, Ciarán Cannon, T.D., launches the next round of the Springboard programme today.

36 institutes of technology, universities and privately-run higher education colleges around the country will be offering 6,000 new places on 220 Springboard courses.

These courses will be in the expanding enterprise areas of ICT, medical devices, the green economy, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and international financial services. Programmes will also be available in cutting edge cross-enterprise skills such as Six Sigma, lean and quality systems, international selling, languages, business start-up and entrepreneurship skills.

Courses are free, part-time, and are at certificate, degree and postgraduate level.

Springboard has been developed in close collaboration with enterprise and funding is only available for programmes in areas of identified skills needs and is a is a key part of the Government’s Jobs Initiative

Head of the National Office for Equity of Access to higher Education, Dr. Mary Liz Trant, said:

• 5,000 people have taken up places on Springboard so far, with 3,500 people due to graduate this month from the first round of programme
• Programme coordinators are working with employers as Springboard is developed
• All courses offered are in growing enterprise sectors such as biopharma
• 36 colleges, ITs, universities and private colleges are taking part
• The programme aims to ensure that people are re-skilled and job ready for the market
• Feedback from enterprise has been extremely positive
• 6,000 new place are being announced today
• The jobs will be live from today. Details can be found at springboardcourses.ie
• People on the live register are eligible, as are those who were previously self employed, those on disability or carers allowance
• There is a need up-skill people to meet the needs of the growing enterprise sectors