The Department of Education and Skills looks set to take on a prominent  in launching the jobs initiative which was announced in the Dáil yesterday by minister for Finance Michael Noonan.

Training places

15,900 education and training places are set to be provided, bringing the total training places for the unemployed this year to 114,500. They will be dispensed among the FÁS Specific Skills Training programme, the Third Level/Springboard programme, the Back to Education Initiative programme, and Post Leaving Cert Courses. These places will be funded through the redeployment of some financial resources within the Department and an additional €8.3m from the Exchequer. Alongside this, the Government announced the creation of a new National Internship Scheme which will provide 5,000 work experience placements in the private, public and voluntary sectors.

Building projects

Furthermore, €40m is set to be made available to fund 374 primary and post-primary school building projects throughout the country. These projects are expected to create 2,400 direct and 480 indirect much needed jobs in the construction sector, according to Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn TD. The amount that will be invested this year under the School Modernisation Programme will now reach over €410m.

Future

Planning and preparatory work will  begin immediately in the Department as they identify and deliver 2 further Public Private Partnership schools bundles in areas where additional infrastructure is required post-2016. The Minister added “This development will support the continued diversification of the delivery of school building projects involving delivery in the traditional manner and now, on an increased basis, the VECs.”