UCC to offer free places on leading diploma and post-grad courses

UNIVERSITY College Cork has announced that there will be over 500 free or subsidised places
on some of their leading diploma and post-graduate courses in the coming months.
Workers seeking to enhance their skills during the economic downturn have the chance to avail
of up to a 90% subsidy on fees across a range of programmes in pharma, agriculture,
languages, software, sustainability, health and more.
The announcement was made after UCC was awarded funding by the Irish government under
the human capital initiative and the Springboard+ initiative to provide the free and subsidised
courses.
‘We want to help Ireland get back to work and these programmes are designed to meet skills
shortages across Ireland’s economy and allow workers to upskill in what is a rapidly changing
work landscape,’ said Prof John O’Halloran, UCC’s deputy president and registrar.
A total of 254 places across six full-time programmes is being offered by the university,
including the following level 8 higher diploma programmes: sustainability in enterprise, meeting
the challenges of the future, global software sales, support, and localisation, and design and
production of biopharmaceuticals.
Places will also be available in the following level 9 postgraduate diploma programmes:
bioanalytical chemistry, innovation through design thinking and pharmaceutical regulatory
sciences.
Additionally, 300 places across 12 part-time programmes are being offered through UCC’s adult
continuing education department. The following level 7 certificates will be offered: environmental
science, sustainability and climate, leadership for the agri-food sector, operator development
(pharma manufacturing), process and chemical engineering, safety, health and welfare at work
and supply chain management.
Level 8 options include a certificate in procurement management and a higher diploma in
advanced languages and global communication.
For those seeking a part-time level 9 qualification, options include a postgraduate certificate in
project management or pharma processing, a postgraduate diploma in pharma processing or a
postgraduate diploma in digital arts and humanities.
Lyndsey El Amoud,  assistant director of UCC adult continuing education, said: 'These courses are a fantastic opportunity for people to re-energise their careers. They are part-time, flexible and, crucially, they are either free, or very affordable.’
For more info see www.springboardcourses.ie