Springboard+

 
The faculty of Lifelong Learning at SETU Carlow is a leading provider of Springboard+ courses. See a full list of courses on offer, eligibility criteria and how to apply below.

The Springboard+ upskilling initiative in higher education offers free or heavily subsidised courses at certificate, degree and masters level leading to qualifications in areas where there are employment opportunities in the economy. Courses are designed for jobseekers, those in employment and returners. Springboard+ is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF programme for employability, inclusion and learning 2014-2020.

Courses Available 

COMING SOON: Springboard+ courses for 2022-23 will be announced very soon. Please visit back in the coming weeks for a full list of the courses on offer.

Eligibility 

Eligible applicants for Springboard+ 2021 meet the following criteria:

1. Those in receipt of an eligible payment from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) and the formerly self-employed.

2. People 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 (“Returners”).

3. People in employment seeking to reskill or upskill.

Further information on eligibility criteria is available at www.springboardcourses.ie/eligibility

Course fees

For employed participants on courses of NFQ Level 7, 8 or 9, 90% of the course fee is paid by the HEA. Participants will be liable for the remaining 10% fee. Fees will be due once a place has been accepted. Level 6 courses are FREE to all participants.

How to Apply 

To apply for a Springboard+ course applicants must use the centralised application system via www.springboardcourses.ie. Applications for September 2021 are currently open. 

RPL - Recognition of Prior Learning
In order to encourage and enable people to enter or re-enter formal education Institute of Technology Carlow welcomes applications from candidates who wish to enhance their academic eligibility for a place on a course by using the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) mechanism.
 
RPL is the term used to describe the system whereby prospective students can apply for formal recognition to a range of relevant learning that you may have gained prior to entry onto a particular course. 
 
RPL includes:
 
  • Recognition of Prior Accredited Learning: This refers to the recognition of formal learning which is linked to the National Framework of Qualifications and for which certification has been awarded; it might include a course or part of a course that has been completed previously.
  • Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning: This refers to the recognition of the kind of learning that has been gained through work or life experiences. It could also include learning gained through workplace training courses.

​Using IT Carlow's Springboard+ RPL form, candidates will be required to set out, formally and in detail, any previous certified or experiential learning that they wish to be considered in the process of allocating places on a course.

In order to make an RPL application for a place on an IT Carlow Springboard+ 2021 course please first contact the Springboard+ co-ordinator, at Springboard@setu.ie briefly outlining:
 
  • what course you are interested in;
  • what your current formal qualifications are;
  • and what relevant experience you have.

You will be informed on next steps once this information has been received.

Note:
It is important to note that IT Carlow anticipates very significant demand for the Springboard 2021 courses.
 
In order to succeed in enhancing their eligibility through RPL candidates will need to engage fully and completely with the RPL requirements set out in the Springboard+ RPL form.
 
All modules taken on Springboard courses will typically contribute to the award classification and so module exemptions are generally not permitted.
 
Contact us:

For more information please contact the faculty of Lifelong Learning department on 059 917 5280 or LLL.cw@setu.ie or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. 

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