Ms Marie Bourke:

With regard to the question on activation measures, there are 150,000 people going through the further education system, of which 38,000 are studying for major awards. The balance are minor or special purpose awards which are shorter term. JobBridge has an allocation of 6,000 places and 8,000 have gone through it to date. The ICT conversion programme that started in March this year has 500 people on it, with another 300 to start this month. It is planned that over 6,000 will go through one and two-year programmes from September this year under the Springboard programme, which has been advertised over the past several months. There are 6,000 going through the 2011 programme, with 3,500 graduating in June this year and the balance coming through in two- and three-year courses, graduating this year and the following year.

In December last year the Government announced a labour market activation fund for further education levels, which will be launched in the coming months. It will have about 6,500 places on it for people up to levels five and six. That is aside from the normal higher education mainstream.