Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am responding to this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills.

I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to outline the supports available to part-time students who have completed FETAC training in child care. The Department provides a range of further education programmes designed to cater for those who wish to upskill, including the back to education initiative, BTEI. The BTEI provides flexible part-time options across further education and is aimed at adults with less than upper second level education, including unemployed adults. The overall aim is to increase the participation of young people and adults with less than upper second level education in a range of part-time accredited learning opportunities leading to awards on the national framework of qualifications to facilitate their access, transfer and progression to other education or employment pathways. The BTEI enables providers to increase participation through a wider range of flexible options which are appropriate to the particular circumstances of learners, enabling them to combine family, work or personal responsibilities with learning opportunities.

In the current context, the BTEI enables providers to address the skills needs of unemployed persons, in particular the priority groups identified in the Government's activation agenda, and develop part-time education and training opportunities for low skilled people in employment to gain qualifications. Learners participating in the BTEI programme may continue to receive social protection payments subject to satisfying the conditions of the Department of Social Protection.

Students can apply for a place on a Springboard course. Springboard which was first introduced in 2011 is a specific initiative that provides free part-time flexible reskilling opportunities at higher education levels for unemployed and previously self-employed persons in areas with emerging skill needs such ICT, pharmchem and international financial services. It is targeted at graduates and non-graduates previously employed in sectors and jobs where employment levels are unlikely to return to pre-recession levels who will need to reskill for different types of employment. Approximately 10,000 places have been provided under the two rounds of the programme issued to date. A call for proposals for courses to be run under Springboard 2013 was issued by the Higher Education Authority in February and is expected to provide in excess of 5,000 new places this year. Details of the courses selected will be available in the coming weeks.

To be eligible for a place on a Springboard course, a person must be unemployed, actively seeking employment and in receipt of one of the qualifying social protection allowances or signing for credits or previously self-employed. Students who have completed FETAC training are eligible to apply for support under the scheme. In addition, tax relief is also available on fees for approved part-time courses. Full details of this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners.

The Department of Education and Skills funds a student grants scheme for third level and further education students. Under the terms of the student grants scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. Under the scheme, an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution. A student who has completed FETAC training in child care and subsequently undertakes a full-time undergraduate course or postgraduate course may be eligible for support under the scheme. The scheme for the 2013-14 academic year was published on 16 May and is available on the student finance website. To determine eligibility for the 2013-14 academic year, a student may submit a fully completed online grant application to Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, via the SUSI or student finance websites.

The Minister will take the concerns of the Senator and those of students into consideration during the budgetary process and will endeavour to protect, to the greatest extent possible, the most disadvantaged students in further and higher education.