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.

A requirement that participants should be receiving welfare payments for at least six months was revoked when only half the places were filled by early September, more than three months after applications opened.

But the HEA’s own evaluation of the first stages of Springboard says many potential students had already decided against applying or had been refused and did not do so after the changes.

“The approach inevitably led to confusion and also quite likely a lower demand for course places,” says the report seen by the Irish Examiner. The HEA will soon invite colleges to offer further Springboard places for next autumn, with a reduced €10m budget, and it plans to address some of the problems highlighted in the report.

One was a difficulty experienced by students at most colleges having a specially- designed UP51 eligibility form filled at their local social welfare office, despite three letters sent to all Department of Social Protection offices by the Department of Education.

“While some local offices were praised for their proactive, informative approach, in other instances there appeared to be a lack of awareness of what Springboard was, how it worked, or what the role of the office was in verifying social protection status,” said the report.

Some offices were reported to have been confused about whether Springboard participants should apply for the Back to Education Allowance or another support. The scheme offered courses up to masters degree level in areas of employment growth at 34 colleges and a further 500 places are now being offered in 17 courses due to start in the coming weeks.

The HEA plans improvements to online application system, including better links to IT systems in colleges, and a more effective awareness campaign, and better guidance for potential participants.

“Many of the replies ... drew attention to the difficulty in getting good information and guidance on options available to unemployed people,” the report said.