Taking one year career break from public sector job

squirestarter wrote: »

Hi,

I have been offered and accepted a place on a Masters course starting Sep 2012.

I will be taking a one-year unpaid career break from a public sector job (approx 25k per annum)

So i earned €25k in 2011 and will earn €16.7k from Jan 2012 to Sep 2012. I will earn €0 from Sep 2012 to Sep 2013 and live on my own.

Would i qualify for a tuition fees grant?

sorry ..i dont wana hijack this thread but im just wondering if you know whether a civil servant taking a career break can work in ireland as an apprentice or whether they can work at something like a trainee accountant for instance?? i know someone who is considerin takin carrer break but they cant afford to support themselves through college without job so lookin at other options..

cee_jay wrote: »

A person on a career break from the civil/public service cannot take up paid employment in Ireland, however self employment is allowed under certain circumstance.
Circular re: Career breaks is here: http://circulars.gov.ie/pdf/circular/finance/1998/18.pdf

11. A career break may be allowed for child-rearing, other domestic purposes (eg care
of a sick relative), educational purposes and travel abroad. Educational purposes may
be deemed to encompass certain training courses which include a practical training
element for which there is a nominal payment/grant made to the student (eg training
as a nurse or as a solicitor). Career breaks are not available for educational purposes
where the student/trainee is in an employment relationship with the training body and
is in receipt of a normal salary/wage. Career breaks for educational purposes should
not be granted for longer than the period of the particular course of study and/or
training.

see above where they are goin on about nominal payments for people trainin as nurses or solicitors...well is it not that a solicitor is employed and paid a small wage for his work the same as an apprentice electrician or trainee accountant would??
my friend made a brief enquiry about gettin a career break to try go do accountancy with an accountant as ya need three and a half years experience..(which is somethin he cant do in the service as apparently they have no accountants in it to facilitate this he was told!) and he was told he wouldnt be...but i think the personnel section he gets on phone is in dublin and dont know their head from their arse and dont care enough to give proper answers to questions.

it seems to me that a person wishing to take a career break as a trainee accountant should be just as entitled to this as a nurse or solicitor as their money while training is as lousy as the other qualifications...i told him to get clarification of this for sure as i reckon the people he spoke to arent looking into it either...what would ye think??