Springboard+ Courses 2020

Eligibility for Springboard Funded Places

Documentation Needed

An image of your EU Passport, or an image of your non-EU Passport with a copy of your Stamp 4 Visa [ simply take a photo of the documents with your phone ]

A copy of your Curriculum Vitae

​You must also include one of the following with your application:

• A scanned copy of a recent payslip if employed showing your name & PPSN [remuneration details etc. can be redacted] OR a brief, current letter from employer confirming employment;
• A scanned copy of a recent payment slip if in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance/ Benefit
• A copy of a recent Bank Statement showing receipt of a different eligible Department of Employment Affairs & Social Protection payment
• A letter from your accountant confirming that you are self-employed
• An affidavit signed by you and the appropriate third-party confirming that you are a returning to the workplace ( for e.g. after stepping away from formal employment to take on caring responsibilities)

You will upload the documents to the Springboard website as part of the application process.

No offers of Springboard places can or will be made without the documentaion in place.

Residency Rules 

In order to participate on a Springboard+ course applicants must meet the eligibility requirements and that you are normally resident in the state at the time of course commencement and also hold a valid PPSN.

Applicants who are employed / returner / PUP  will need to meet the residency requirements, i.e. that the applicant has been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to the programme.

Pandemic Payments and Springboard

People in receipt of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) can apply for a Springboard+ part-time course. The fee will be waived for these applicants. It is however the responsibility of the applicant in receipt of a PUP payment to discuss retaining a DEASP payment with their case officer in their local INTREO office when their offer is accepted and before they complete first registration for the course through www.springboardcourses.ie

Multiple Courses

• Participants may not enroll in more than three courses in any five-year period. They may re-engage with the Springboard+ programme after a break period of two years. This criteria will be strictly enforced.
• Participants who enrolled in more than one Springboard+ course since the inception of Springboard in 2011, and did not complete any course, are not eligible to apply. This criteria applies to all categories of applicant outlined below.
• Participants who enrolled in just one course, since the inception of Springboard+ in 2011, but did not complete, are eligible to apply.
• All applicants must meet the eligibility criteria outlined below and any additional requirements as outlined by the course provider.
   

Recent Graduates

One-year full-time and two-year part-time ICT Skills Conversion courses are open to recent graduates. However, to participate in a NFQ Level 9 (Post Graduate) course, a period of at least one year must have elapsed since completing a full time undergraduate degree course leading to a major award at level 8 on the NFQ.

There is no one-year 'cooling off period' for courses funded under the Human Capital Initiative - such as the Postgraduate Diploma in Finance and Business Analytics.

2019 graduates who have been in receipt of a social welfare payment and who are eligible to move onto the BTEA and retain their benefit, do not to pay 10% of the course fee.

2020 graduates will not be eligible to retain their benefit to do a full-time course if they have not been on the payment for 9 out of the previous 12 months. These applicants have to pay 10% of the course fee and would not be able to retain any benefit for the duration of the course.

More Information

The Higher Education Authority (HEA), who run the national Springboard+ initiative, has comprehensive eligibility information at https://springboardcourses.ie/eligibility which covers all individuals' circumstances. These pages include a useful eligibility reckoner app, an informative FAQ section, and contact details for the Springboard Freephone Helpline staffed by adult education guidance experts.

Documentation Needed

All image of your academic certificates and transcripts. [ simply take a photo of the documents with your phone ]

These will demonstrate that your either (1) meet the academic entry requirements, or (2) they will support an application made on a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) basis.

You will upload the documents to the Springboard website as part of the application process.

No offers of Springboard places can or will be made without the documentaion in place.

Academic Entry Requirements 

Academic eligibility criteria for WIT Springboard+ courses are set out on each course page.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Where candidates do not currrently meet the formal academic entry requirements (set out on each course information page) they may be able to advance their application using the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) mechanism. RPL allows candidates to make a case that they do meet entry requirements through a combination of formal certified learning and learning through experience (most typically work experience). RPL applications must be made by filling out (please type) the Springboard RPL form and submitting it along with supporting documents such as academic certificates and transcripts etc.

Download WIT Springboard RPL Form

English Language Competency

Applicants whose first language is not English must submit documentary evidence of competency in English. Please see Click Here for WIT’s English Language Requirements.

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