How do I Apply on Springboard for a Course?

What Is Springboard?

The Springboard+ initiative in higher education offers free courses at certificate, degree, and master’s levels in areas with identified employment opportunities in the Irish economy. It is co-funded by the Irish government and the European Social Fund.

The aim is to help people transition into industries with significant employment opportunities.

Who Is Eligible?

For full details, check eligibility directly on Springboard’s eligibility page.

Here are some rough criteria to help you get started. Eligibility for courses in the 2017/18 academic year requires meeting all requirements, including academic qualifications:

Returners (formerly homemakers)
People in employment:
- Those seeking courses in the manufacturing sector (e.g., biopharma or medical devices technology)
The unemployed or formerly self-employed, including individuals receiving:
- Jobseeker’s Benefit or Allowance
- One-Parent Family Payment
- Disability Allowance
- Qualified Adults of Working Age Payment
- Carer’s Allowance
- Farm Assist/Fish Assist
- Widow’s, Widower’s, or Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension (Contributory or Non-contributory)
- Blind Pension
- Deserted Wife’s Allowance

Please note: If you have taken a Springboard course in the last two years, you are not eligible for a Springboard place in the 2024/25 academic year unless you are progressing to a higher academic level (e.g., from Level 6 to Level 7).

Still Unsure as to Whether or Not You Are Eligible?

Email your CV to sinead.creaner@getreskilled.com along with answers to the following questions:

Are you currently employed or unemployed?
Are you receiving a social welfare payment? If so, which payment, or are you signing for credits?
Where do you live?
Have you taken a Springboard course in the last 2 years?
If yes, what course(s) and at what level (e.g., Level 6/7/8)?
If yes, have you graduated from that course? What is your status on the Springboard website?

To check your status on the Springboard website:

Log in to the Springboard website.
Click the down arrow next to your name/email in the top right corner.
Select “Applications” from the drop-down menu.
A pop-up will show all courses you’ve applied for or enrolled in, with a column displaying your “status” for each course.

Please email us the displayed “Status” for each course or take a screenshot and send it to us.

Once we receive your CV and answers to the questions, a member of our Springboard Admissions team will follow up to confirm your eligibility and recommend the most suitable Springboard course based on your work and education background.

We will then email you a link to the relevant official Springboard application. You must apply through the Springboard website using this link before the specified deadline, which will be mentioned in the email.

Does That Mean I can Apply for a GetReskilled Course Free of Charge?

Basically, yes – if you meet one or more of the Springboard Eligibility Criteria, you may apply for a free Springboard place on our courses.

We offer two courses under the Springboard Initiative, both Level 7 Certificate Programmes academically accredited by the Dublin Institute of Technology. Completing one of these courses will help you meet the academic requirements for future employers in the pharma or med device manufacturing industries.

On average, we receive about 600 inquiries per month for our courses. Out of these, we interview around 40 applicants and offer places to approximately 30 people.

Please Note: We have limited places available for employed people looking to transition, as under Springboard+ 2024/25, priority is given to those who are unemployed.

What Is The Application Process?

Step 1 – Ensure you are Applying for the Correct Course

Before you apply for any of our courses, you should first have read the information on the
Springboard FAQ webpage.

Step 2 – Submit Your Official Springboard Application

To learn more about how to submit your Springboard application, watch our video below:

Once you have submitted your Springboard application, you must send your supporting documentation by email to sinead.creaner@getreskilled.com. The required documentation depends on which Eligibility Category you fall into:

1. Unemployed / In receipt of Social Welfare / Signing for Credits

Copy of an up-to-date CV (even if you have previously provided one)
AND
Scan/Photo of your most recent An Post receipt<
OR
Letter/Documentation from the Dept. of Social Protection showing you are currently in receipt of a payment/signing for credits

2. Returners (formerly Homemakers)

Copy of an up-to-date CV (even if you have previously provided one)
AND
A form to complete, available at this link, to be sworn before a Commissioner for Oaths attesting to your status.

3. Formerly Self-Employed

Copy of an up-to-date CV (even if you have previously provided one)
AND
Letter/statement from the Revenue Commissioners stating you are no longer trading
OR
A similar letter from your (former) accountant
OR
Sworn declaration before a Commissioner of Oaths attesting that you are no longer Self-Employed/Trading

4. Employed

Copy of an up-to-date CV (even if you have previously provided one)
AND
Sworn declaration before a Commissioner of Oaths attesting you have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least 3 of the 5 years preceding your entry to the programme
AND
Copy of your most recent P60 or other relevant revenue documentation OR a letter from your current employer confirming employment or self-employment

Once you have successfully completed this application, you will receive an email from Springboard confirming your application has been submitted or a pop-up window on your application indicating it has been submitted. If you can’t find the email, check your spam folder as it may be filtered there.

If you don’t get a confirmation email or a pop-up window saying your application has been submitted, your application may have been saved as a “draft.” To check:

Log in to the Springboard website
Click the down arrow next to your name/email near the top right-hand corner of the page
Select “Applications” from the drop-down menu
A pop-up will show a list of courses you have applied to or enrolled in. Each course will display its “status.” If your application was mistakenly saved as a draft, it will show “draft” status.

If there is no “Draft” status and you haven’t received an email, please submit another application using the link emailed to you earlier.

If you encounter further issues, contact Springboard Tech Support at support@springboardcourses.ie or call (076) 6151247.

Once you have submitted your application, our Course Programme Manager, Sinead Creaner, will receive an email from Springboard confirming your submission. She will contact you directly to confirm receipt and guide you through the next steps.

If you have any queries after becoming an applicant, you can email Sinead directly at sinead.creaner@getreskilled.com.

Once the application closing date has passed, all applications will be reviewed, and we will contact you with the outcome and any further requirements.

Contact Us

Hopefully, that has answered most of your questions about making an application via Springboard. If you have any further questions or would like clarification on any points, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Call Sinead: +353 (0)21 240 9016