The Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan T.D. announced, on 1 June 2010, that some 6,500 training places will be made available to the unemployed under the Labour Market Activation Fund, 2010.

The programmes are specifically designed in a variety of key work-related subjects aimed at unemployed people who wish to retrain or upskill. Participants must be in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit or Jobseekers Allowance for at least three consecutive months.

Eligibility

Participants must be in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit or Jobseekers Allowance for at least three consecutive months. Time spent on training or education programmes will be reckonable for this three-month period.

Aim of programmes

The programmes are targeted at those who wish to re-skill and prepare themselves for occupations in new and emerging sectors of the economy, where these skills will be in demand.

Entitlements

If you plan to take up a place on these programmes you may qualify to keep your welfare payments while on courses for as long as you would normally be eligible to receive such payments from the Department of Social Protection.

Further Information Links

Qualifax

Department Education and Skills