College courses offered to the unemployed/made redundant

Tom Dunne

This was posted over in the works/jobs forum.

Thought it might be of use to some people here.

Linky.

Standard disclaimers apply, I have no connection with the NCI (or the Work/Jobs forum, for that matter ).

procure11

Most colleges have announced courses under the Government funded Free fees initiative for the umployed.It allows people who have been employed for 6 months or more and also people have recieved redundancies.

Here are a few of the opportunities in each college:

Cork Institute of Technology
http://www.cit.ie/aboutcit/newsandevents/name,1881,en.html

University College Dublin
http://www.ucd.ie/news/2009/07JUL09/270709_unemployed.html

University of Limerick
http://www2.ul.ie/web/WWW/Services/News?did=780569768&pageUrl=/WWW/Services/News

Waterford Institute of Technology
http://www.wit.ie/News/News/MainBody,37577,en.html

Dublin city University
http://www.dcu.ie/upskilling/

Dundalk Institute of Technology
http://ww2.dkit.ie/schools_and_departments/business_and_humanities/business_studies/department_of_business_studies_news/new_free_business_course_for_unemployed_persons
http://ww2.dkit.ie/schools_and_departments/nmha/applied_sciences/department_of_applied_sciences_news/new_free_science_course_for_unemployed_people

IT Tallaght
http://www.it-tallaght.ie/GeneralInformation/News%20&%20Events/Name,20939,en.html

I reckon a lot of other institutions would be making announcements in the coming days.

Larianne

Feel free to add to this thread if you know of any courses that are made available.

Thank you!

procure11

I think this Initiative is very commendable as it would allow unemployed people upskill or perharps get into another field.

Here are a few more:

Athlone Institute of Technology
http://www.ait.ie/notices/cert%20in%20engineering.shtml

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology
http://www.iadt.ie/en/InformationAbout/NewsEvents/News/Title,1689,en.html

IT Sligo
http://www.itsligo.ie/news/freecourses.htm

snubbleste

Meh, i posted this on the 28/07/2009.

http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/PR09-07-26B.xls

geofizz

I just contacted National College Ireland about one of the courses on offer- part-time 2 years.
I asked him what happens if i get a job in the first year and want to leave the course. He told me the fees would be covered for the first year but if i left before the 2nd year i would have to pay for the 2nd year E3780!!!
What a con.

birdalone

geofizz wrote: »

I just contacted National College Ireland about one of the courses on offer- part-time 2 years.
I asked him what happens if i get a job in the first year and want to leave the course. He told me the fees would be covered for the first year but if i left before the 2nd year i would have to pay for the 2nd year E3780!!!
What a con.

personally I am very grateful for the financial assistance I am to be given by the government and other bodies, I feel lucky that they consider me to be worthy of their investment and feel obliged to repay their financial investment with my own commitment and a degree of dedication.
I am impressed.

TomRooney

geofizz wrote: »

I just contacted National College Ireland about one of the courses on offer- part-time 2 years.
I asked him what happens if i get a job in the first year and want to leave the course. He told me the fees would be covered for the first year but if i left before the 2nd year i would have to pay for the 2nd year E3780!!!
What a con.

to be honest mate if your lucky enough to get a place you should jump on it, then if your lucky enough to get a job in the mean time you should not have a problem paying for the course if you realy want to do it after all how much is your future worth...?

procure11

Govt announces 1000 postgraduate places
For the Unemployed.Details are below


http://www.education.ie/servlet/blob...R09-07-26D.xls

The places are for unemployed people who would like to do postgraduate studies.The progs start in September 2009 and they are in seven universities and 13 ITs.Places are for people who have been on the dole for 6 months and above,they are free of charge for the 2 year duration.

I think it is a right step in the right direction.

Haru

procure11 wrote: »

I think it is a right step in the right direction.

Agreed. Although I don't know where they find the money for that.

echosound

anyone get offered a place via this labour market activation programme?

I got offered a degree course in WIT under the LMA, but when I went out to register today we were all told that the courses we had been offered were to be fulltime Mon-Fri, 9-5, rather than parttime as we had all expected.

From all the information I've managed to amass on this topic it seems that it was supposed to only be partttime courses that qualify for this programme, fulltime are not acceptable? A criterion of this LMA programme is that you are still available for and still seeking fulltime work while undertaking the part-time courses.

It seems like a huge mess, we were given no answers to our questions when we asked about the fact that the programmes we were enrolling on were fulltime as opposed to the parttime option they need to be, shoulders were shrugged, and we were chivvied along into registering even though none of us are now sure we are even eligible to take up these places at all seeing as they are fulltime I got the distinct impression that no-one at the college knew what they were talking about, or even cared.

Anyone else with any experience of gaining a place under this LMA programme, or have any info on whether or not the options the WIT are offering are even eligible for the LMA programme? It's looking like none of us (there were 90 places offered) will be able to take up the offer of courses as they don't fit the part-time criteria of the LMA under which they were offered.

DAC

I know someone who was accepted into UL - Degree course - its part-time but you attend the modules with the full-timers - you can complete up to 45 credits worth of modules (full time its 60 credits) per year.

Mimojo

Hi all

Just looking at previous thread - just wondered if anyone has started in any of the free postgraduate places since Sept, and how are they finding it? Do they feel that it will lead to the a job at the end of the tunnel? I have started a part time course at UCD myself.

Thanks!

Pablo_

Hi,
I am in an LMA science degree course, just finished first year and going into first year again next year, due to only being able to do up to 75% credits. Anybody still sticking with this system or has everyone jumped ship since realised it will take a lifetime to get to the end?

Is there any more threads on this somewhere else on boards.ie that i have not found?

Personally I can't afford college and don't mind just being in college for now and fairly giving it a go but the last few threads were exactly how a few colleagues and I felt last year. i.e. no-one knew what was really going on?

ps - boozelrooze; i started an undergrad, but i think both were on offer.

Mimojo

Pablo_ wrote: »

Hi,
I am in an LMA science degree course, just finished first year and going into first year again next year, due to only being able to do up to 75% credits. Anybody still sticking with this system or has everyone jumped ship since realised it will take a lifetime to get to the end?

Is there any more threads on this somewhere else on boards.ie that i have not found?

Personally I can't afford college and don't mind just being in college for now and fairly giving it a go but the last few threads were exactly how a few colleagues and I felt last year. i.e. no-one knew what was really going on?

ps - boozelrooze; i started an undergrad, but i think both were on offer.

Hi Pablo

I just had my final exam today for a graduate certificate course at UCD. It was a postgrad cert level 9, started in Oct, two mornings a week.

The course was good, but really think that SW just picked courses that there were places on, and not looking towards getting a job. They didnt really know how to deal with the LM people, and two mornings a week was very hard to get around if you got a job etc. There are no jobs from this course, I really did it to have something to fill up my cv while I was unemployed, and it was related to my previous edu.

Def agree that noone really knew what was going on, I only heard about the course by chance, and as I said no chance of a job from it.

It is mad that you have to do first year again, seems v. unorganized. How did you find the course in general?

Vinoveritas

procure11 wrote: »

Most colleges have announced courses under the Government funded Free fees initiative for the umployed.It allows people who have been employed for 6 months or more and also people have recieved redundancies...I reckon a lot of other institutions would be making announcements in the coming days.

In response to your post - I would also advise all would be students to keep an eye on www.qualifax.ie (which for those of you returning to education) is a goldmine (database) of useful information on courses accredited on the National Framework of Qualifications (Level 1 through to Level 10) throughout the entire length and breadth of the country.

Also, in excess of 350 educational providers (including Universities; IT Colleges; VECs; private providers) applied for funding in the last couple of months - through the Labour Market Activation process. The results of this funding is due to be announced shortly. Once the funding is announced it should open up a whole range of further/higher education options - some of which may be part-time.

From my limited understanding of the LMA Funds these monies will have to be spent quite quickly - which means that potential learners may become overwhelmed with options over a very short period of time.

My final piece of advice - start doing your homework now - and contact the colleges of FE/Higher Education closest to home and ask them what they are hoping to run if they are granted these funds. This way you will be one step ahead of the posse!

Good Luck.

Pablo_

Hi boozelerooze,

I'd say you are right when you say the SW just picked courses there were spaces on, that def makes sense. It really is like someone in SW just decided to take 1000 students off the couch but it could have been so much better organised.

I'm still kicking myself I turned down a one year course in a more practical course, now I'm back in first year with all the traditional students in science degree. I had a BA and now going into a B.Sc.

So are you in postgrad then? at least you are finished and as you said it was a cv fller and surely good to be busy also. Best of luck in exams by the way.

as for how course is going, Its fine, doing well in exams but its purely academic ( for want of a better word). Its all good but still don't see a finish line. Thats why I was asking if any other LMA's out there who may like the course but unsure of how long it might take ...

mnm

tried to get on one of these courses myself but as on lpa and not ua they said i didnt qualify wat a joke

Vinoveritas

Worth checking in with the Adult Guidance Service in your local Vocational Education Committee (VEC). This is a free service, and they should be able to offer you some useful support with regard to returning to study.

Mimojo

Pablo_ wrote: »

Hi boozelerooze,

I'd say you are right when you say the SW just picked courses there were spaces on, that def makes sense. It really is like someone in SW just decided to take 1000 students off the couch but it could have been so much better organised.

I'm still kicking myself I turned down a one year course in a more practical course, now I'm back in first year with all the traditional students in science degree. I had a BA and now going into a B.Sc.

So are you in postgrad then? at least you are finished and as you said it was a cv fller and surely good to be busy also. Best of luck in exams by the way.

as for how course is going, Its fine, doing well in exams but its purely academic ( for want of a better word). Its all good but still don't see a finish line. Thats why I was asking if any other LMA's out there who may like the course but unsure of how long it might take ...

I def think they just got places on whatever courses they could – but it did give me a purpose for a couple of months so Im glad I got something out of it.

I did a part time graduate certificate (level 9) at UCD. I attended two mornings a week, and just did 30 credits of a 90 credit masters. The masters students has twice as many modules, and a 30 credit thesis for the summer. To be honest I would have loved to just do the masters, I was off and doing course work anyhow, would have been easy to just go to more lectures and do more course work, I was in the study mode anyhow. But they paid for a grad cert, and when a few of us inquired if we could maybe pay the different and do the masters programme they didn’t really have any procedure for this. But it was a course, it filled a hole in my cv and I am thankful for that!

I enjoyed it I have to say, I have a degree (BA) and a masters (MSC) already, and was made redundant, so it was great to have a purpose as I was starting to go a little bit mad! I have just stated a job, its not even remotely in the field and the money is pretty ordinary, but it’s a job, and they are extremely hard to come by these days so I am v. happy to have it. The college were great when I stared the job I missed the end of the course, but got my course work in and did my exams, and will have my results next week so fingers crossed I did ok!

Best of luck in your course, I know it seems like the long haul at the moment, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end. There is so little work out there right now you are prob best to be upskilling and when you come out the other side it should have picked up. My OH just finished the first year of his degree, he has gone back as a mature student, and it is def hard to see an end to the course, just gotta keep going, time will fly!

DAC

Pablo_ wrote: »

Hi,
I am in an LMA science degree course, just finished first year and going into first year again next year, due to only being able to do up to 75% credits. Anybody still sticking with this system or has everyone jumped ship since realised it will take a lifetime to get to the end?

Is there any more threads on this somewhere else on boards.ie that i have not found?

Personally I can't afford college and don't mind just being in college for now and fairly giving it a go but the last few threads were exactly how a few colleagues and I felt last year. i.e. no-one knew what was really going on?

ps - boozelrooze; i started an undergrad, but i think both were on offer.

Hi,
FYI I'm on LMA Degree course Yr 1 undergrad - had an end of semester meeting with the course head to decide on next semesters modules & was informed I can now complete all 10 modules (5 Per semester ) from next semester onwards. The rule has changed from picking 7 out of 10, because the academic year is over 6 months. During Year 3 I can complete some modules from year 4 instead of going out on work experience if I choose.
I'm studying at UL

Pablo_

OK DAC, i sent you a pm as I am in UL too, and was wondering about the 3 modules you may have had to leave aside this year, are you doing them next year etc ?

Pablo_

...or actually i don't know how to send a PM so i guess the last question still stands re doing next years course and the 3 semesters we had to drop this year. This is all good news though because it will feel bit more like we are going somewhere with it

DAC

Pablo
I only have to do 2 modules from Yr1 - I recieved a concession for the 3rd - I'll be doing them as part of my Yr 2.... If I'm there, I got a job after the exams, initially for 3 Months but it could be long term.I don't even know if after 3 months work whether or not I qualify to remain on the LMA program!! I'll cross that bridge when I get there, anyway best of luck to you on with the Science Degree.

deise8

Hi can anyone inform on whether there will be a re-run of similar courses on offer again ths coming september by the Labour Market Activation Programme or it was just a once-off?? Would love to get a science based course in Munster as I missed the closing date last year

Pablo_

deise,

this is just for UL this year:

http://www.ul.ie/dllo/labourmktactivationprog.html

though by your name though you might need to check cork/waterford yourself ...

deise8

Thanks for the link Pablo...would I be right in thinking there was a broader range of courses on the LMA last year that are not funded this year? Unfortunately last year I missed the deadline for applying to UCC for the higher diploma in Biotechnology...I contacted UCC this year and they are not running the course due to low uptake..from what i gather from the www.bluebrick.ie/LMA website, the I.T's in Munster seem to have mostly business management, renewable energy and engineering courses on offer...so disappointed to have missed the deadline last year...

JeremyH

Some info on a course aimed at people who are unemployed:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055970149

qwert2

I was lucky enough to get one oft hese courses last year. The only problem I had is whether or not you are supposed to let the welfare know that you are attending one of these course. One of the criteria is that you are long unemployed, receiving job seekers allowance. I got hassel from the welfare after I admitted I had a college exam and wasn't able to sign on. This didn't go down well with them as they seen this as 'going to college while signing on'. When I explained the scheme this course were under they were clueless about it. Anyway I sorted it out in the end.

Also I wonder if someone doing one of these courses could switch from jobseekers allowance to back to education allowance, hence getting more money

JeremyH

qwert2 wrote: »

I was lucky enough to get one oft hese courses last year. The only problem I had is whether or not you are supposed to let the welfare know that you are attending one of these course. One of the criteria is that you are long unemployed, receiving job seekers allowance. I got hassel from the welfare after I admitted I had a college exam and wasn't able to sign on. This didn't go down well with them as they seen this as 'going to college while signing on'. When I explained the scheme this course were under they were clueless about it. Anyway I sorted it out in the end.

Also I wonder if someone doing one of these courses could switch from jobseekers allowance to back to education allowance, hence getting more money

The majority of the students on this course in the past would have been on BTEA (and would have switched from JSA). Some others would have been on disability and others have been retired and on pensions. If you contact the Cork City Partnership http://www.corkcitypartnership.ie/ they can tell you about your entitlements. I've never heard of any of our students getting hassle about signing on during exams or anything like that.

qwert2

JeremyH wrote: »

The majority of the students on this course in the past would have been on BTEA (and would have switched from JSA). Some others would have been on disability and others have been retired and on pensions. If you contact the Cork City Partnership http://www.corkcitypartnership.ie/ they can tell you about your entitlements. I've never heard of any of our students getting hassle about signing on during exams or anything like that.

Thanks Jeremy. That's interesting. I should have been on BTEA then
I am going back to do the second year in September. I can hopefully switch to BTEA in the meantime. Another factor about BTEA is that I think it hinders your chance of applying for a maintenance grant (not too sure on that one).

I'm based in Dublin, thanks for the link nevertheless