Written answers
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Department of Education and Skills
Employment Support Services
7:00 pm
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 159: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated number of places on the Springboard scheme available in Counties Cavan and Monaghan. [22458/11]
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Springboard provides 6,000 funded part time higher education places for the unemployed in public and private institutions throughout Ireland. The evaluation panel selecting the programmes used rigorous criteria of quality, industry and skills needs relevance, value for money as well as the need for a good geographical spread. While there are no instituions based in Cavan and Monaghan, delivering Sprinboard programmes there are a large number of places available in neighbouring counties including Sligo IT (241 places); Dundalk IT (179) and in IT Blanchardstown (305).
In addition many Springboard courses are delivered on-line enabling people to access them regardless of where they reside. These include:
? 150 places with the Open University and 70 places with Oscail
? All 12 courses in IT Sligo (241 places) have a significant online/virtual learning element, attendance will be 2 days per semester with the remaining teaching being delivered online
? 115 of all courses include an element of online or distance learning.
Full details regarding all Springboard courses including course delivery methods can be found on www.bluebrick.ie.
Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of the 60,000 apprenticeships, work placement, education opportunities and internship places promised in the programme for Government that have been accessed for young unemployed persons. [21153/11]
Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Jobs Initiative contains details of over 20,000 additional training, education and work experience places for the unemployed. The majority of the places (15,900) will be delivered through the Department of Education and Skills through the following programmes. 6,000 places on FÃS Specific Skills Training Courses (FAS) 3,000 places on the Back to Education Initiative (FE) 1,000 places on Post Leaving Certificate Courses (FE) 5,900 places on the Springboard Initiative (HE). 5,000 places will be made available through the National Internship Programme (JobBridge) which is being managed by the Department of Social Protection.Plans for activating the additional 6,000 Specific Sklls Training places allocated to FÃS are at an advanced stage however no trainees have yet commenced participation under this provision.
5,000 of the places will be in short, evening and blended Specific Skills training courses delivered by FÃS within existing resources.
â¬3.5 million will be provided for 1,000 places in longer FAS Specific Skills Training courses. Exact delivery mechanisms of these 1,000 places have now been identified and scheduling has commenced.
It is anticipated that each of these additional places will have been activated by the end of 2011.
In relation to the additional 3,000 Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) and 1,000 Further Education Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) places which are to be prioritised for the unemployed, these additional places have been allocated and will be available from September.
5,900 additional places for higher education and training opportunities for the unemployed have been allocated under Springboard. Applications for all of the Springboard programmes opened on 25 May 2011 and institutions are still processing applications for courses, the majority of which will begin in September 2011. Comprehensive information on all of the programmes the application process can be accessed through the Bluebrick.ie website.
The National Internship Scheme (JobBridge), launched on 29 June, 2011, will provide up to 5,000 unemployed people with an internship opportunity ranging from 6 to 9 months in an organisation in the private, public or community and voluntary sectors.
It is three weeks since the launch and there are already over 700 opportunities available on the JobBridge website (offering just over 1,000 placements). 65 Interns have been selected of which 27 have currently been verified by the Department of Social Welfare and of these 8 have commenced their internship.
The Government will continue to explore new and existing programme to provide additional training, education and work experience places for the unemployed including young unemployed persons.
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