Athlone graduate Ciaran Lynch helped to announce 9,000 one-year Springboard+ part-time and full-time courses now available free across the country.
Ciaran was unemployed for months before applying for a Higher Diploma in Computing in Athlone Institute of Technology, as part of the ICT skills conversion Springboard courses.
Ciaran successfully completed the course and is currently employed by BearingPoint, a leading global business consulting firm with management and technology capabilities.
This year’s courses have been jointly launched by Ministers Jan O’Sullivan and Damien English and bring total investment in the programme to over €100 million.
For many unemployed graduates the results have been transformational with the most recent trend analysis indicating that 87 per cent of ICT skills conversion graduates are now back in employment.
A scan by the Department of Social Protection indicates that 74 per cent of all Springboard participants 2011-2014 are no longer on the Live Register.
Springboard+ 2015 which incorporates part-time Springboard courses and full-time ICT skills conversion programmes will provide for 285 courses at 42 higher education institutions across Ireland.
This year, courses will focus on areas such as ICT, manufacturing, construction, entrepreneurship, cross-enterprise skills, and international financial services.
The 9,000 places now on offer represent a €27 million investment from the National Training Fund and will equip jobseekers with new skills in sectors with good employment prospects.
Full details on Springboard+ together with the eligibility criteria, are available on www.springboardcourses.ie
