Fine Gael Mayo TD John O’Mahony has welcomed the announcement of 6,000 new college places which are being made available to unemployed people, including previously self-employed people, who want to upskill, as part of the Springboard initiative.
Deputy O’Mahony said: “Springboard, which was set up as part of the Government’s jobs initiative a year ago, has proved to be an enormous success. So far 5,000 people have taken up free, part time, higher education courses, with 3,500 of those due to graduate this month.
“The announcement of a further 6,000 college places will come as great news to those who are looking to retrain and upskill. As these places are targeted to meet the current and future skills requirements of industry, they will also be warmly welcomed by business leaders and entrepreneurs.
“The situation for many jobseekers these days is that the sector in which they once worked, such as the construction industry, has suffered serious collapse. It is essential we ensure that the skills needed for the new jobs that are coming on stream are acquired. The focus for the future has to be on sectors such as information and communication technology, the biopharma-pharmachem sector and the medical devices sector.
“I also welcome the changes that have been introduced for this round of the programme with the eligibility criteria being opened up. Springboard courses are now available to those who were previously self-employed and those in receipt of Disability Allowance and the Carer’s Allowance,” said Dep O’Mahony.
Further information on www.springboardcourses.ie
