Eligibility 

Springboard+ Spring 2018 Eligibility criteria for participants

Unemployed with a previous history of employment 

Actively seeking employment

AND

Satisfy one of the following three criteria:

Be in receipt of one of the following payments from the Department of Social Protection:

Jobseekers Benefit, Jobseekers Allowance, One Parent Family, Disability Allowance, Qualified Adults of Working Age, Carers Allowance, Farm Assist/Fish Assist, Widow(er) s Contributory or Non-contributory Pension, Blind Pension, Deserted Wives Allowance

There is no requirement to be in receipt of a payment for a particular period prior to the commencement of the programme. Participants in receipt of an eligible payment at the time the Springboard+ course commences are eligible to apply for a place on that course. However, providers will be required to give priority to applications from people who are long term unemployed OR

• Be signing for social insurance contribution credits OR

• Be previously self-employed OR

• Be classified as a Homemaker (with a previous history of employment)

A homemaker is classified as a person not in receipt of a payment from the Department of Social Protection that have been out of the work environment for a number of years due to childcare or other caring obligations and have a previous history of employment but may require upskilling, reskilling or cross-skilling to transition back to the workforce.

Homemakers seeking to apply in 2018 will be required to verify their status as a homemaker.

 People participating in the Community Employment Scheme; the Rural Social Scheme; Tus; JobBridge or in receipt of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance or the Short Term Enterprise Allowance may apply for Springboard+ and, with the approval of a Department of Social Protection Facilitator, take up a Springboard+ course.

Please note the following new eligibility terms which apply to all 2018 applicants:

• Those who have completed a Springboard+ course within the past two years (i.e. graduated from a 2015 or 2016 Springboard+ call course ) are not eligible to apply in 2018 (unless the participant is seeking to progress their qualification level in the same discipline, e.g. level 7 to level 8). 

• Participants who enrolled in more than one Springboard+ course since the inception of Springboard in 2011, and did not complete any course, are not eligible to apply in 2018. 

• Participants who enrolled in just one course, since the inception of Springboard+ in 2011, but did not complete, are eligible to apply in 2018, but will be required to meet all eligibility criteria as outlined below.

Full details of eligibility criteria are available under the ‘Am I eligible’ section on the Springboard+ website www.springboardcourses.ie

RPL Information

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Learners may also access this programme on the basis of recognition of prior learning or by assessment of prior experiential learning/informal learning. Such applicants are considered on a case-by-case basis. The process is implemented within the relevant school, by the relevant Head of School/Department or nominee, and is overseen by The Registrar. For this particular programme applicants will be considered on a case by case basis based upon their educational record, work experience and a capacity to successfully participate in the programme.