25% of €20m places unfilled

Poor communication between state agencies and a lack of information for students were major factors in one-in-four places not being taken up on a €20m training scheme for the unemployed.

The Irish Examiner reported in December that more than 1,200 of the 5,885 free, third-level places went unfilled under the Springboard scheme that formed part of the last major jobs plan a year ago.

An evaluation of the scheme by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), which oversaw the programme, now shows that another 331 people accepted a place but did not start or had dropped out by the end of the year. It shows that, while participants were largely positive about the scheme, a number of weaknesses contributed to the poor uptake.