Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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255. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the expenditure under the Human Capital Initiative for each year for which it has been in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44296/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) was announced as part of Budget 2019. The HCI provides additional capacity across the Higher Education Sector to meet priority skill needs for enterprise, representing an additional investment of €300m (€60m per annum from 2020 to 2024) from the surplus in the NTF in line with recommendations contained in the independent review of the NTF on the use of the surplus and the development of labour market skills.

The Initiative forms a key part of the strategic response to a changing world of work and the challenges the economy will face in the period ahead. With a strong focus on innovation and agility, the programmes being supported will ensure that graduates and the education system as a whole, are in a position to respond positively to the challenges and opportunities ahead.

The HCI consists of 3 main pillars - graduate conversion and specialisation courses, additional places on undergraduate provision, and an innovation and agility fund.

HCI Pillar 1, Graduate Conversion Programmes was launched on 17th June 2020, providing 5,891 places on 93 courses over three years. These courses are one year, full time conversion courses at levels 8 and 9, in areas of identified skills need, building on experience of the ICT Conversion Courses under Springboard+. The courses can be applied for through www.springboardcourses.ie in the same manner as Springboard+ courses.

HCI Pillar 2, additional places on undergraduate provision address identified key areas of enterprise skills needs including, but not limited to, Science, Engineering, ICT, and Professional Construction qualifications. Places will be provided through increased and incentivised provision in full time undergraduate provision. 3,000 new places on 138 full-time undergraduate courses in 22 higher education institutions were funded for autumn 2020 and 2021. A further 1,101 places on 1 and 2 year ICT graduate conversion courses are on offer under the Springboard+ 2021 initiative to commence in 2021/22 academic year.

HCI Pillar 3, Innovation and Agility has two key areas of focus – innovation in modes and methods of delivery and an agility fund. It aims to ensure that courses in areas of skills needs demonstrate innovative methods of teaching and delivery, which will include flexibility in course provision. HCI Pillar 3 will deliver 22 projects in higher education institutions, 17 of which involve collaborations between institutions. The projects include the use of virtual laboratories in higher education, a new hub to upskill the building sector on green construction, and the establishment of Creative Futures Academy to support digital and screen culture, cinema, literature and broadcasting, art, design, and fashion. €10m was reallocated to July stimulus from Pillar 3 in 2020 to Springboard plus and HCI Pillar 1.

The HCI commenced a five-year funding programme in 2020. The table below gives the 2020 expenditure and the 2021-2024 budget.  

Further breakdowns on the actual spend from 2020 will follow.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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256. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding spent on private colleges for each year of the Human Capital Initiative in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44297/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) was announced as part of Budget 2019. The HCI provides additional capacity across the Higher Education Sector to meet priority skill needs for enterprise, representing an additional investment of €300m (€60m per annum from 2020 to 2024) from the surplus in the NTF in line with recommendations contained in the independent review of the NTF on the use of the surplus and the development of labour market skills.

The HCI consists of 3 main pillars - graduate conversion and specialisation courses, additional places on undergraduate provision, and an innovation and agility fund.

HCI Pillar 1, Graduate Conversion Programmes was launched on 17th June 2020, providing 5,891 places on 93 courses over three years. These courses are one year, full time conversion courses at levels 8 and 9, in areas of identified skills need, building on experience of the ICT Conversion Courses under Springboard+. The courses can be applied for through www.springboardcourses.ie in the same manner as Springboard+ courses.

HCI Pillar 2, additional places on undergraduate provision address identified key areas of enterprise skills needs including, but not limited to, Science, Engineering, ICT, and Professional Construction qualifications. Places will be provided through increased and incentivised provision in full time undergraduate provision. 3,000 new places on 138 full-time undergraduate courses in 22 higher education institutions were funded for autumn 2020 and 2021. A further 1,101 places on 1 and 2 year ICT graduate conversion courses are on offer under the Springboard+ 2021 initiative to commence in 2021/22 academic year.

HCI Pillar 3, Innovation and Agility has two key areas of focus – innovation in modes and methods of delivery and an agility fund. It aims to ensure that courses in areas of skills needs demonstrate innovative methods of teaching and delivery, which will include flexibility in course provision. HCI Pillar 3 will deliver 22 projects in higher education institutions, 17 of which involve collaborations between institutions. The projects include the use of virtual laboratories in higher education, a new hub to upskill the building sector on green construction, and the establishment of Creative Futures Academy to support digital and screen culture, cinema, literature and broadcasting, art, design, and fashion. €10m was reallocated to July stimulus from Pillar 3 in 2020 to Springboard plus and HCI Pillar 1.

The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) commenced a five-year funding programme in 2020. The table below gives the 2020 expenditure by private higher education institutions and the 2021-2024 estimated expenditure by private higher education institutions.