The Springboard+ upskilling initiative in higher education offers free and subsidised courses at certificate, degree and masters level leading to qualifications in areas where there are employment opportunities in the economy.

Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 1 will extend the approach currently in place for ICT under Springboard+. It will offer incentivised places for graduates to reskill in areas of skills shortage and emerging technologies e.g. ICT, High End Manufacturing, Data Analytics, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, via graduate conversion courses. The HCI Pillar 1 funding will provide funding for full-time graduate conversion courses. Courses at level 8 Higher Diploma and level 9 Postgraduate Diploma on the National Qualifications Framework will be funded under this Pillar.

Springboard+ is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF programme for employability, inclusion and learning 2014-2020.

Human Capital Initiative Pillar 1 is funded by the National Training Fund.