A
A
A
|
About Us
|
Contact Us
|
Help/F.A.Q
|
Feedback
|
Links
|
Remember me
Forgotten Password?
All Institutes
Athlone IT
Cork IT
DIT
DkIT
GMIT
IADT
IT Carlow
IT Sligo
IT, Tralee
ITB
ITT Dublin
LIT
LYIT
NUIG
UL
WIT
LMA FAQ
1 - How many ICT Skills courses can an applicant apply for?
The applicant may only apply for ONE course
2 - If I am unsuccessful in securing a place on the programme to which I apply, will there be any opportunity for me to submit an application for a place on another course?
If you are unsuccessful in securing a place on the programme of your choice, the HEA may be able to assist you after the closing date for the receipt of applications has passed: if there are unfilled places at some institutions, we will seek to redirect applications to fill these and we may be able to assist you then.
3 - What kind of jobs are ICT Skills courses designed for?
ICT Skills courses offer a broad and dynamic range of skills encompassing software (applications, systems, middleware), IT services (data processing, outsourced IT services, and IT consulting), electronics and hardware, and communications services.
4 - Clarification of Income Supports?
Participation in the programmes will not create an entitlement to receive any income support payment, a student grant or the Back to Education Allowance.
If you are unemployed with an entitlement to a Jobseekers allowance or Jobseekers benefit payment from the Department of Social Protection you may retain such payments, if you have been on the Live Register for at least 3 months in the 6 months prior to the commencement of the programme. If you are in receipt of a Jobseekers payment you must contact your local social welfare office to make an application to retain your payment under an atypical pilot basis of the Part Time Education Option (PTEO). This will necessitate the completion of a special PTEO form entitled ‘PTEO – ICT Skills Programme 2012’. Under the PTEO you may only retain such payments for the duration of time that an underlying entitlement to a payment exists. You can download the PTEO (Part-Time Education Option) form
here
.
If you are in receipt of other forms of income support payment from the Department of Social Protection you must contact the appropriate scheme area to confirm if you may retain such payments while on the programme (for example if you are in receipt of a Disability Allowance you must contact the Disability Allowance section). Participants on the programme who meet the criteria for the Jobbridge programme will be eligible for support under Jobbridge for the work experience element
5 - Do ICT Skills courses offer a work placement?
Yes work placement is an important feature of all courses on the ICT Skills Programme. Duration of work placement can vary from between 3 months to 6 months depending on the course.
6 - Can I make an ICT Skills application directly to a participating college?
All applications must be made through the
ICT Skills portal
7 - I have accepted an offer of an ICT Skills place but now have changed my mind. Can I re-apply?
If a participant has a change-of- mind after accepting a course offer s/he should immediately inform the relevant higher education provider. If other providers are still receiving applications for ICT Skills courses it may be possible for a participant to re-apply for another ICT Skills place.
8 - Am I eligible for an ICT Skills course?
The entry criteria for admission to courses funded through the HEA’s ICT Skills Programme is a matter for each participating higher education provider to determine. However it is imperative that participants are capable of attaining the requisite (NFQ level 8) proficiency in high-level ICT skills within one year. Relevant experiential learning may be accepted in lieu of academic qualifications.
9 - Is there a cost or registration fee for ICT Skills courses?
No course fees or charges are payable by participants on an ICT Skills course for the duration of time that they are unemployed. Participants may be required to pay for books or other course materials.
10 - When do ICT Skills courses start?
The start date for all ICT Skills courses is included in each course information page on the
ICT Skills page
. Most courses will be starting from mid-March 2012.
11 - The National Framework of Qualifications, or ‘NFQ’ is mentioned in the information on Springboard. What is this?
The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) provides a way to compare qualifications, and to ensure that they are quality-assured and recognised at home and abroad. See
the NFQ website
for more information.
12 - Can I make an ICT Skills Programme application if I have already participated in another government-funded training programme, such as the Springboard programme or a FÁS scheme?
Applicants who have completed a government-funded training programme, such as a Springboard or FÁS course, are eligible to apply to the ICT Skills Programme. However two such programmes cannot be pursued concurrently.
13 - Do I have to be registered as unemployed in order to apply to the ICT Skills Programme?
No, applicants are not required to be unemployed: any suitably qualified individual may apply.
14 - Will there be any further opportunities in the future under the ICT Skills Programme?
The HEA will review the ICT Skills Programme, further to which additional places on courses in ICT skills may be advertised.
15 - I do not think that I would be successful in applying to the ICT Skills Programme because I do not have the requisite academic qualifications or relevant prior experiential learning. Are there any other up-skilling opportunities in Ireland at present?
The Springboard programme aims to help unemployed people to re-enter the labour market through up-skilling. There are no tuition fees for Springboard applicants, who must be in receipt of an eligible social welfare payment which they will be able to retain throughout their course. It is anticipated that a range of new Springboard courses will be announced shortly, further details of which will be available at
www.bluebrick.ie/Springboard
.
In addition, FÁS run the JobsBridge National Internship Scheme. (See
www.jobsbridge.ie.
) Participants in the Springboard programme can avail of a JobsBridge placement concurrently.
If you have not participated in higher education previously, you may wish to consider a range of courses on offer around the country on an on-going basis. Full-time higher education courses can be viewed at www.cao.ie, and information on further education courses is available at
www.qualifax.ie.
Full information on student support is available at
www.studentfinance.ie.
Also of interest may be Aontas’s Information Booklet on Choices of Training and Education for Adults in Ireland 2011–2012.
Aontas Booklet
LMA Contacts
Carlow (ITC)
Brian McQuaid
brian.mcquaid@itcarlow.ie
(059) 9175290 Dave Denieffe
david.denieffe@itcarlow.ie
(059) 9175410
Letterkenny (LYIT)
Thomas.Dowling@lyit.ie
(074) 918 6304
Limerick (LIT)
James.Collins@lit.ie
(061) 208861
Tralee (IT Tralee)
Mary Stritch
Mary.Stritch@staff.ittralee.ie
(066) 719 1701
Accessibility
|
Disclaimer
|
Privacy Statement
|
Security Statement
|
Links
|
SiteMap
|
Blog
© BlueBrick.ie 2012