Money to do a course?

Elessar

Is it true the social welfare will help you pay for a course that may end up giving you employment? A friend of mine recently got money from the social welfare (employment officer or something to that effect) to do a course after which he is guaranteed some work. It came to €700. FAS did not give him anything.

I've never heard of this before but I know my friend isn't lying.

Balagan

Elessar wrote: »

Is it true the social welfare will help you pay for a course that may end up giving you employment? A friend of mine recently got money from the social welfare (employment officer or something to that effect) to do a course after which he is guaranteed some work. It came to €700. FAS did not give him anything.

I've never heard of this before but I know my friend isn't lying.

He's not lying but a lot of people hadn't heard of it. Jobs Facilitators working at the Social Welfare Offices and affiliated to the National Development Plan were authorized to give financial support to jobseekers who came to them wanting to take part time courses which would further their existing skills. I know some people who were helped by this funding but in these cases they all got help from an office which announced last year that all such funding was ceasing on 1 August 2009. I'd imagine that this was an across the board ruling and would affect all offices. If someone knows something to the contrary, it would be good to hear.

eth0_

I asked about this when I was in with FAS during the week. They said they will only consider funding courses if they are properly accredited (i.e. HETAC/FETAC type bodies), the trainer is registered with FAS as a course provider, and if the course is not already offered by FAS anywhere in the country. So, for example, if you live in Dublin and want to do a course in carpentry (for example), and the only FAS carpentry course is in Tralee, you will have to move to Tralee, and you get no extra benefits money to help you with your move.

Oh, and all the FAS offices have had their budgets for sending people on non-FAS courses drastically cut, thanks to the rampant p*ss-taking overspending and dodgy expenses of their former top brass.

Elessar

Interesting. My friend only got money off them two weeks ago so they must still be operating. I was thinking of doing the same course so if welfare will pay for it I think I'll go for it. Might get me out working again.

This wasn't FAS funding but social welfare directly.

Dave!

I didn't ask any more about it so don't know the details, but when I had a meeting with FÁS they said that they'd pay for an external (ie. not FÁS affiliated) course up to €1000.

Pretty sweet deal, there's lots of courses going for less than that.

Think you have to be unemployed for quite a while to qualify for this though.

eth0_

Elessar wrote: »

Interesting. My friend only got money off them two weeks ago so they must still be operating. I was thinking of doing the same course so if welfare will pay for it I think I'll go for it. Might get me out working again.

This wasn't FAS funding but social welfare directly.

OH. Do you know the name of this scheme?

Elessar

eth0_ wrote: »

OH. Do you know the name of this scheme?

No idea. Job facilitator or something to that effect was the person in the office he went to.

london.irish

You can make an appointment with the facilitator at your local welfare office, your local FAS office would be able to give you the name and number of the person you need to speak to.

They can fund up to 90% of the value of your course up to a total €1,000.00.

The course I needed to do cost about €3,500.00 all in, so the kind gent gave me the €1,000.00 towards it, I will have to pay a couple of hundred quid myself, and he is also trying to get FAS to help with the balance.

Go armed with all the relevant information about the course and the costs, and show them how doing the course will improve your chances of securing a job.

Good luck with course.