DPR News
UCC Awarded funding for 6 new courses under Human Capital Initiative Programme
UCC has been awarded €5.6 million for more than 700 additional places on six new HDip and PG Dip courses, across all four Colleges, under Pillar 1 of the Human Capital Initiative Programme.
The HEA’s Human Capital Initiative (HCI), launched in 2019, aims to deliver investment targeted towards increasing capacity in higher education in skills-focused programmes designed to meet priority skills needs through targetted funding. Over five years from 2020 to 2024, €300m has been allocated for the HCI from the surplus in the National Training Fund (NTF). Further information is available here: https://bit.ly/2NoGqgw.
The HCI funding is being awarded through a series of competitive calls under three Pillars, as follows:
Pillar 1 – Full-Time Graduate Conversion Courses
Pillar 2 – Additional Places on Existing Full-Time Undergraduate Provision
Pillar 3 – Innovation and Agility
Pillar 1, Graduate Conversion Programmes extends the approach currently in place for ICT under Springboard+; these programmes will offer incentivised places for graduates to reskill in areas of skills shortage and emerging technologies. These are being run alongside, and complementary to, the Springboard+ offerings.
€5.4 million has been allocated to UCC for 697 places over the next three academic years on the six new courses developed in response to the national funding call.
HCI Pillar 1 courses are open to all, regardless of employment status. Eligibility criteria have been aligned with the eligibility for ICT Conversion Courses under Springboard+. Those who are eligible for the DEASP Back to Education Allowance may undertake the courses free of charge, with all others paying just 10% of the course fee.
For more on this story contact:
Dr. Sandra Irwin, Deputy President & Registrar's Office, 021 4904874 or s.irwin@ucc.ie