Minister announces 11,000 free or subsidised courses in skills of 'critical importance'

Springboard+ participant Maureen Lee at the Springboard+ and Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 1 launch on Monday. The 11,213 courses consist of 8,291 places on 252 courses under Springboard+ 2023 and 2,922 places on 105 courses under Human Capital Initiative Pillar 1 Graduate Conversion Programmes for the academic year 2023/24. Picture: Marc O’Sullivan

More than 11,000 free or heavily subsidised college course places in areas of “critical importance” have been announced by Higher Education Minister Simon Harris.

The courses which are free for people who are unemployed, previously self-employed and returners to the workforce will be in areas such as climate, sustainability, energy and financial technologies. For those who do not fit the above categories, 90% of the course fee is funded by the Government, with participants required to contribute the remaining 10%.

Programmes in cybersecurity, virtual reality, health innovation, logistics and online retail are also being funded, all of which will be delivered by public and private higher education providers across the country. Mr Harris said the course places will allow people to upskill or reskill in areas of skills shortages.

“Most programmes are delivered either fully online or in a blended format making them fully accessible, meeting the rapidly-evolving needs of our economy and our commitment to lifelong learning,” he said.

He said the courses will also play a vital role in the response to the green transition and will provide the skills needed to help reach the 2030 targets for energy efficiency and decarbonisation.

“In this, the European Year of Skills, it is vital that we all consider the opportunity to learn a new skill. Skills and continuous learning are vital for enabling individuals and countries to thrive in an increasingly, interconnected and rapidly changing world,” he said.

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Higher Education Authority (HEA) Chief Executive Officer Alan Wall said: “The subsidised nature of Springboard+ and HCI Pillar 1 programmes means that the funded courses are accessible to a diverse group of people across the economy. The programmes on offer will appeal to those looking to obtain new skills to get back into the workforce, as well as those seeking to develop their skillset as our economy grows.”

The 11,213 courses consist of 8,291 places on 252 courses under Springboard+ 2023 and 2,922 places on 105 courses under Human Capital Initiative Pillar 1 Graduate Conversion Programmes for the academic year 2023/24.

The Springboard+ system will open for course applications on Wednesday.