Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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84. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria for entry requirements to access Springboard+ courses; if there are courses specifically aimed at persons who are underemployed; the courses available for lifelong learning programmes; and the specific courses targeting skills shortages in sectors. [46380/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Under Springboard+ 2018, the eligibility criteria for Springboard+ has been extended so that all courses will be open to people irrespective of their employment status. Returners and those in receipt of certain allowances, including Jobseekers Benefit, will continue to be able to access courses free of charge. Level 6 courses will remain free to all participants and for employed participants on courses NFQ level 7 – 9, 90% of the course fee will be funded by the Government, with participants required to contribute just 10% of the fee.

Springboard+ 2018 is providing over 8,000 places on 245 courses in public and private educational institutions throughout Ireland. All courses selected for funding are in areas of identified enterprise skills needs and were selected, following a competitive call for proposals, by an independent evaluation panel using published criteria that included value for money, flexible delivery, engagement with industry and skills relevance. Springboard+ plays a key role in supporting lifelong learning and gives people who have been out of the workforce an opportunity to reskill or upskill to develop job-specific skills to enable them to return to employment.