Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Springboard is a specific initiative targeted at unemployed people who have lost jobs in sectors where employment levels will not return and who will need new qualifications and skills to re-enter employment as the economy recovers. To be eligible for a place on a Springboard course an applicant must have been unemployed for a minimum of six months when the course starts. At the time of starting a Springboard course an applicant also must be in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance, Jobseeker's Benefit or One Parent Family Payment or be signing for contribution credits and be available and actively seeking employment. The rationale for applying a six months waiting criteria to the initiative is to ensure that the limited resources available for Springboard are directed at unemployed people, who may be most in need of upskilling or reskilling in order to get back into employment. In calculating the qualifying period of six 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.