Prior to the announcement of the Jobs Initiative the Department of Education and Skills was funding in 2011 the provision of 108,500 Training places for the unemployed, 168,000 Further Education places and 156,000 Higher Education places.
The recent Jobs Initiative contains details of over 20,000 additional training, education and work experience places for the unemployed. The majority of the places (15,900) will be delivered through the Department of Education and Skills through the following programmes:
6,000 places on FÁS Specific Skills Training Courses (FÁS);
3,000 places on the Back to Education Initiative (FE);
1,000 places on Post Leaving Certificate Courses (FE);
5,900 places on the Springboard Initiative (HE);
A new Internship Programme will be developed by the Department of Social Protection for up to 5,000 interns.
The additional places announced in the Jobs Initiative bring total Training places available for the unemployed this year to 114,500. It also brings places which the unemployed may access in the Further Education sector to 172,000 and in the Higher Education sector to 161,900.
Programme
|
Pre Jobs Initiative Participants
|
Additional Places
|
Post Jobs Initiative Participants
|
Training
|
|
|
|
FÁS
|
90,000
|
6,000
|
96,000
|
Skillnets
|
8,000
|
—
|
8,000
|
Labour Market Activation Fund (2010-11)
|
10,500
|
—
|
10,500
|
Subtotal Training
|
108,500
|
6,000
|
114,500
|
Further Education — VECs
|
|
|
|
Part Time programmes including Back to Education Initiative
|
127,000
|
3,000
|
130,000
|
Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)
|
5,000
|
—
|
5,000
|
Post Leaving Certificate (funded places)
|
31,688
|
1,000
|
32,688
|
Youthreach
|
3,692
|
—
|
3,692
|
Senior Traveller Training Centre
|
684
|
—
|
684
|
Subtotal Further Education
|
168,064
|
4,000
|
172,064
|
Higher Education
|
156,000
|
5,900
|
161,900
|
Total
|
|
15,900
|
|
Internship Programme (DSP)
|
|
5,000
|
|