Vol. 428 No. 1
506 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Education if she will make a statement regarding ESF funding for regional technical college degree courses; and the reason ESF funding is not used in support of part time degree courses, where fees can amount to over £800, when similar full time courses are ESF funded.
The programmes operated by my Department which are in receipt of aid from the European Social Fund are outlined in the following table.
Under current regulations governing the ESF no primary degree programmes are eligible for funding whether part-time or full time.
Students pursuing degree level courses in the colleges are considered for financial assistance under either the higher education grants scheme or the Vocational Education Committee scholarship scheme.
ESF-Aided Department of Education Vocational Training Programmes (RTC Sector)
|
Programme Title |
Duration |
Certification |
Jointly With |
|
CERT |
NCCCB |
CERT |
|
|
Apprentices |
3 years |
FÁS/EDUC |
FÁS |
|
Middle Level Technician MLT |
1-2 years |
NCEA/DIT |
— |
|
Higher Level and Business Skills HTBS |
1 year add-on 3 years |
NCEA/DIT |
— |
|
Middle Level Re-training Programme MLRT |
1-5 years part-time |
NCEA/DIT |
— |
