The Institute of Technology Tralee has secured over €1.2 million in funding and 346 places under the Government’s Springboard+ initiative for the academic year 2018/2019. In total 13 courses are offered by IT Tralee through its Life Long Learning Department, as part of its Springboard+ offering, with 11 of these programmes starting this September.

Courses will be delivered in the areas of Science & Data Analytics, Food & Beverage Operations, Hotel Management, Building Information Modelling, Digital Marketing, Validation, Biopharmaceutical Processing, Industrial Instrumentation and Automation, Mechatronics, Quality Management, Culinary Skills, Restaurant Operations and Applied Computing.

Commenting on the announcement, Brid McElligott, Vice President for Development, Research and External Engagement at IT Tralee, said:

“Springboard+ offers an excellent opportunity to upskill in an area where there are immediate employment positions. For the past decade, IT Tralee has worked with over 1,800 Springboard students, linking course participants with employers throughout the region resulting in many Springboard graduates now pursuing rewarding and challenging careers.”

The Springboard+ initiative offers free, part-time courses leading to qualifications that are in demand among employers.

Ann Marie O Flaherty, who completed the Springboard+ Higher Diploma in Science in Applied Computing at IT Tralee in 2017 said of her experience, “The course gave me the extra skills I required to become a Business Analyst. I would highly recommend a Springboard+ course to anyone wishing to gain education and experience in their preferred field”.

Now in its eight year, Springboard+ has to date provided 47,000 free higher education places nationally, primarily to jobseekers in need of upskilling or reskilling to allow them to re-enter the labour market.

From last year, the eligibility criteria for Springboard+ was expanded to include homemakers and those in employment who wished to upskill or reskill to meet specific emerging skills needs in the ICT and Biopharma/Med Tech sectors.

This year, for the first time, Springboard+ courses will be extended so that all courses will now be open to people irrespective of their employment status. Additionally:

• Level 6 courses will remain free to all participants;
• Returners and those in receipt of certain allowances, including Jobseekers Benefit, will continue to be able to access courses free of charge;
• 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. Prospective students can apply online for courses through www.springboardcourses.ie

Members of the Lifelong Learning Department at IT Tralee will be available over the coming weeks to meet on an individual or group basis to advise potential students looking at a return to education. Further information on course availability, eligibility criteria and the application process are also available by contacting the Institute at 066 7191701 or by visiting www.springboardcourses.ie.