Funded SETU places available to employees, jobseekers, previously self-employed people and people returning to the workforce have increased for 2020/21
Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) has received an additional €207,000 in funding for Springboard places under the Government’s stimulus measures. This brings to over €2.3m the funded SETU places available to employees, jobseekers, previously self-employed people and people returning to the workforce across the region for 2020/21.
More information
WIT is running a virtual open evening focusing on part-time and Springboard+ courses on Wednesday, 9 September 2020 from 6.30pm-7.30pm. The virtual open evening for adult learners will allow people to ask questions they may have about returning to study, fees, and areas they are interested in. Also available is the facility to book – via upskill.wit.ie - a personal consultation using Zoom with the SETU Springboard & Part-time Helpdesk.
The Head of the Department of Lifelong Learning at SETU, Neil Quinlan, says that there is enormous interest in Springboard courses this year.
“It’s been hectic and we will be recruiting right through September to fill all available places. Springboard courses allow people to gain a new qualification in one year or less generally and so provide a great structure for people to get back to work and or advance their career.”
Places still available
Quinlan says that some places are still available in Advanced Drug Formulation, Biomedical Engineering, Data Analytics, Engineering Automation, Financial Services, Hospitality, Pharma Quality Management and Software Development.
Springboard courses include level 9 business qualifications in Economics and Finance and Digital Marketing Practice, Business Analytics, Finance and Business Analytics. In computing there is also a data analytics courses.
Automation engineering and biomedical engineering are also on the list. In the science realm Advanced Drug Formulation Science and Quality Management and Quantitative Data Analysis are two areas of study. In the world of hospitality there is both a Certificate in Culinary Skills and Certificate in Food and Beverage Operations.
Extra funding
Over the summer SETU secured potential funding of €2,122,790 under the Springboard+ and Human Capital Initiative: Pillar 1 calls this year, a new funding initiative targeted at new programmes for graduate conversion. SETU was awarded a potential €1,691,540 in funding for 324 Springboard places in 2020/21 and a potential €431,250 in funded places under the Human Capital Initiative: Pillar 1.
The free or highly-subsidised Springboard+ higher-education courses are open to both employed and unemployed people.
“Springboard+ courses are designed to allow people to re-boot their career through significant upskilling within one-year of less. Courses are fully-funded for the unemployed, previously self-employed and people returning to the workplace. For employed people level 6 Springboard Courses are 100% - funded and Level 7 - 9 Springboard courses are 90% - funded,” concludes Quinlan.
Springboard+ is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020.