IT Sligo offers 235 places on online programmes under Springboard
IT Sligo has been awarded funding from the Higher Education Authority for 235 unemployed people to take part in 11 online programmes, under the 2012 Springboard Programme.
Springboard is part of the Government’s Jobs Initiative and offers free third level courses for the unemployed.
The courses available through IT Sligo under the initiative are all in the areas of science and engineering and design and will commence next month. Included are the followint programmes;
- Higher Certificate in Science in Good Manufacturing Practice and Technology;
- Certificate in Science in Biopharmaceutical Processing (Level 7);
- Certificate in Biopharmaceutical Science;
- Masters in Science in Biopharmaceutical Science;
- Certificate in Sterile Operations (Level 6);
- Certificate in Biopharmaceutical Science (Level 8);
- Postgraduate Diploma in Biopharmaceutical Science;
- Masters in Science in Quality;
- Certificate in Lean Sigma Quality Six Sigma Green Belt.
IT Sligo Registrar Dr Brendan McCormack said that because all of the courses are online, they can be taken up by eligible candidates anywhere in the country, regardless of their location; “Our online courses are proving to be increasingly popular every year because of the flexibility they provide to the learner. They can be undertaken from anywhere in the country, or in the world for that matter.
“Students receive personal contact with their lecturers and classmates in the virtual classroom. Very little computer literacy is required to take up an online course and I would encourage anyone who has an interest in one of our courses, and is eligible to take part in the Springboard Initiative, to apply for a place,” he added.
Programme Manager at IT Sligo’s Centre for Online Learning, Brian Mulligan, said that the courses selected for participating in the programme are all in areas which are experiencing growth currently, so employment prospectus on completion of the courses are healthy: “The courses have been selected for participation in the Springboard programme because these industries are in short supply of qualified graduates. Seven of the 11 programmes we’re offering under Springboard relate to Biopharmaceutical Science, an industry which is going from strength to strength in Ireland at the moment. Just this year Abbott Ireland announced a €85 million investment in their plant in Sligo, which is a huge vote of confidence in the industry and in our graduates,” he said.
To be eligible for a place on a Springboard course a person must be unemployed and actively seeking employment. The eligibility criteria for Springboard 2012 have been expanded to include people who were previously self-employed and people in receipt of an extended number of social welfare payments. Full details of eligible social welfare payments and other eligibility criteria are available on www.springboardcourses.ie
All applications must be made online using the HEA website www.springboardcourses.ie where full details of the IT Sligo programmes will be available.
IT Sligo is the national leader in online learning provision and has achieved a wide range of awards, including the award for ‘Best in eLearning’ at the Digital Media Awards last year. It was also awarded a Taoiseach’s Award for Public Service Excellence for its innovation in Online Learning earlier this year.
For further details on Springboard courses at IT Sligo please contact 0719155222 or parttime@nullitsligo.ie
Dr Billy Fitzgerald, Head of Department of Environmental Science and Brian Mulligan, Springboard Co-ordinator, IT Sligo pictured with Dr Mark Glynn from BlueBrick.ie at the launch of Springboard.
