2,000 places in free courses for unemployed still vacant

IN spite of changes to entry rules which have boosted applications for free part-time courses for the unemployed, almost 2,000 places are yet to be filled.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn announced three weeks ago that he was removing a stipulation whereby Springboard courses were only open to those who had been unemployed for six months or more.

The Irish Examiner had revealed that just 5,500 people applied up to the start of September for the courses, which had been advertised since May.