Free College Places For The Unemployed
Updated : Jun 22, 2009
Thousands of unemployed workers hit by the economic downturn will be able to retrain on free college places from September, it was announced today.
Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe said the 2,500 spaces on part-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses will be part of the Government’s efforts to upskill the labour force.
Mr O’Keeffe said the third-level sector has a critical role to play in helping unemployed workers develop the type of skills they need to get back into the work.
“Of the 2,500 new part-time places that will come on stream in September, 1,500 of them will be on a range of undergraduate certificate and degree-level programmes and the rest will be available for unemployed graduates to undertake part-time postgraduate diplomas or conversion programmes,†said Mr O’Keeffe.
“The initiative is specifically aimed at upskilling and reskilling people for jobs in the sectors of the economy considered key to tackling the recession and driving economic growth.â€
Workers must be unemployed for at least six months on 1 September 2009 to be eligible for a place on the programmes.
Tuition fees will not be charged, though postgraduate students may be required to pay a "nominal" charge.
Funding from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will support the 1,500 part-time undergraduate places, while 1,000 postgraduate places will be funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
The Minister said courses available will support the goals of the Government’s “smart economy†plan and relate to specific skills needed in exporting sectors such as medical devices, biopharmaceuticals, international financial services, and the food sector.
Part-time courses will be more suited to the circumstances of workers who are unemployed and want to be able to re-enter the labour force as soon as possible, he added.
Details of the third-level institutions providing these places and how to apply for a place will be announced in the coming weeks.
