Controversial…but the astronomical summer in Ireland does not start until 20th June in Ireland. So I stand by the title – at least for the sake of this article!
For those who have never heard of Springboard and are interested in pursuing further education here is my quick overview.
There are two amazing government funded programmes to upskill; Springboard (courses offered at NVQ levels 6-9) and HCI Graduate Conversion (courses offered at NVQ level 8-9 for graduates looking to move or upskill in industries where the government have identified skills shortages and emerging technologies). For eligible applicants, the cost of the course is either fully covered by the government or else require only 10% contribution to fees with the remainder being covered by the government.
To be eligible you need to be resident in Ireland, have PPS number, meet nationality requirements and have lived in Ireland, EU, UK or Switzerland for 3 out of the last 5 years. You also need to be economically active – so either employed or self-employed, unemployed and actively seeking employment, or a returner (defined as homemaker or caring duties for 9 out of last 12 months).
There are 321 Springboard courses on offer in 2021, and 79 HCI courses. Most start in the Autumn term (Sept or Oct). Most Springboard courses are part time (306 out of 321), whereas all the HCI courses are full time. Many courses are taught in a blended format (combining classroom with distance learning), allowing people from different locations and with work / caring responsibilities more choice.
The applications for courses starting this Autumn will be opening up over the next couple of weeks, with most deadlines between July and August, and courses on the Springboard website will be updated to reflect this.
There are a vast array of disciplines on offer…my advice is to download the excel file of course listings for Springboard and/or HCI and browse though to start doing the research in advance about what courses might be of interest. Just to pick a few…there are Springboard courses in Accounting, BioPharma, Quality, Cloud Computing, Software Design, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, AI, Cybersecurity, Procurement, Leadership and Team Management, Business, Data Analytics, 3D Animation, European Law, Supply Chain Management, Food & Agribusiness, Entrepreneurship, Web Design, Electric Vehicle Technology, Culinary Skills, Change Management….I want to apply for one myself now!
For more information and how to apply visit the Springboard website: https://springboardcourses.ie/
(And if you want help identifying what direction to take your career – book a free compatibility call below to see if working together can help your career development.)