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Evaluation of Springboard Second-stage report

February 2013HIGHER EDUCATION AUTHORITYHEA

What is working? What needs further improvement?

Effort focus in 2013

AccessingSpringboard:Participants’experience to-date

We aim to ensure that:

(a) courses offered are relevant to the job market andare high quality and high impact

(b) access to these programmes is non-bureaucraticand ensures that take up and success rates aremaximised.

The findings in this document are drawn from thefollowing data sources:

• more than 12,500 online data records • three separate surveys of Springboard participants

and graduates• ongoing feedback and data returns from

participating Springboard colleges• Live Register data.

} Springboard2013 a commitment to on-goingimprovement

3. Springboard graduates continue to beconfident, motivated self-starters, withthe capacity to think critically and topursue their own personal and careergoals

4. Springboard colleges will provide anoutstanding upskilling experience toSpringboard graduates, before, duringand on completion of their course

5. Springboard continues to positivelyinfluence the ongoing process ofreform and development of highereducation in Ireland

SHaPing our 5 SPringboard goalS For 2013

online/internet 37.1%

radio interview 4.3% radio ad 16.3%

newspaper 11.9%FÁS 11.4%

Social Protection office 12.4%

Word of mouth 25.6%(friends/family) Springboard College 4.4%

adult guidance 2.1%

HoW did you HEar aboutSPringboard?

on aJobseekerspayment

78%

+12 monthsseeking

employment

previouslyemployed inconstruction

previouslyself-

employed

male andbetween 25– 49 years of

age

had beenout of

education>10 years

52%

20%

6%

70%

had a previouseducationalaward which

was Level 6 orabove

54.4%

28%

out ofeducation>5 years

17%

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Profile of Springboard 2012 participants

1. Employment rates forSpringboard graduates willcontinue to rise. Springboard isrecognised as a successful,effective initiative to supportpeople back into sustainableemployment

2. Springboard graduates are anincreasingly sought-after groupamong employers; added totheir job readiness from previousemployment, they have cuttingedge skills and knowledge fortheir industry sector

2012Freephoneguidance linehandled 4,259 calls

dElivEring EmPloymEnt

• Within 6 weeks of courses completing, 30% were back in work;within 6 months average 40% back in work (Sources:Participant surveys; online data returns from colleges; LiveRegister data)

• Over 500 links have been created between individualemployers, enterprise representatives and Springboardcolleges

• Industry is proactively contributing to overall design andcontent of Springboard; shaping individual Springboardcourses; promoting Springboard in the media and amongpartner companies; hiring graduates

• Job readiness training and careers supports considered essentialamong participants – feedback from participants indicates thatthis area needs further attention in 2013

• Practical inputs from employers during a course highly valued byparticipants – examples included presentations on job vacancies,on working in a particular sector, on key skills sought byemployers

• New section for employers added to springboardcourses.ie• Dedicated job fairs hosted by Department of Social Protection

in Galway Cork and Dublin

guidanCE

• 53% of participants did not receive anyguidance in selecting their course

• Absence of guidance a contributoryfactor in drop out rates, with someparticipants reporting that they hadmade wrong course choices

• Mixed picture on guidance available inSpringboard colleges – from excellent to‘not available’ at key periods

• 200+ local Department of SocialProtection (DSP) staff briefed onSpringboard in 2012, howeverparticipants still reporting lack ofknowledge of Springboard in their DSPoffice

• Eligibility for Springboard the mostcommon Helpline query – mostsignalled that this process was easier tonavigate in 2012

Eligibility and EaSE oF aCCESS

• Over 90% found the 2012 one-stop onlineapplications system informative and easy to use

• Positive response from participants and colleges toexpanded eligibility criteria - included the previouslyself-employed, and those with unemployed statuswere immediately eligible

• Colleges found process to verify participants’eligibility much simpler in 2012

• Springboard courses with distance and blended e-learning popular

• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) – experienceamong participants mixed – some colleges still haveover-emphasis on previous academic qualifications –others have developed successful new approachesthat recognise job-based experience and otherinformal learning

The top two employmentareas for Springboard

graduates in 2012:

Full-time 69%

Part-time 16%

Self-employed 15%

(40%) Information and

Communications Technology

(20%)Business/management

WHat tyPE oF jobSHavE SPringboardgraduatES got?

SPringboard routE to SkillSEnHanCEmEnt, innovativElEarning and EmPloyability

• 2,400 people completed a Springboard course in 2012with a 63% rate of successful course completion

• Graduation rates were highest on courses delivering cross-enterprise skills and in the area of Food and Beverage(both 65%); on courses in universities (73%) and amongstpeople aged over 50 (71%)

• Highest withdrawal rates were from three-year courses(53%) and by people under-25 on one-year courses(54%)

• 89% of 2012 participants satisfied with their Springboardcourse and decision to make the commitment to reskill.Compares to 81% satisfaction in 2011

• Participants still dropping out because of lack of broadersupport arrangements, in particular childcare, travel andstudy costs

• Not all colleges seem to be identifying studentsexperiencing difficulties, resulting in a higher drop out ratein those colleges

• 81% finding in-college supports excellent (46%) or quitegood (45%), compared to 75% in 2011

• Negative feedback centres on five main issues: ‘choppingand changing’ of schedules and lecturers; poorcommunication; lack of access to services available to otherstudents; perceptions of poor quality course content; an ill-judged workload for participants

• Work placement highly valued by participants as acomponent of Springboard courses (60% of courses withwork placement in 2012, up from 48% in 2011)

• 92% of survey respondents affirmed the broader positiveimpact of doing a Springboard course – a more hopefuloutlook in their lives; restored confidence and motivation; abelief (and sense of relief) that they would get their livesback on track again

in−CollEgE ExPEriEnCES oFPartiCiPantS 2012

“Phenomenal - a life changing experience - excellentsupports - have gone from the lowest point in mylife to some of the greatest achievements of my lifein a very short space of time. My confidence is at itshighest for years” (Springboard participant 2012)

EnCouraging PartiCiPation in SPringboard

• For colleges: new, 2012 online course proposalsystem SpringboardDirect judged a bigimprovement on the previous, paper-basedsystem

• Marketing campaign to cover the local andnational developed – included radio, TV, printmedia, case studies of successful graduates;promotional material circulated to all localemployment offices and DSP offices

• Two dedicated national roadshows for potentialparticipants held in mid-August (Dublin/Cork)with strong enterprise involvement as well asSpringboard colleges, career advice and socialprotection advice – drew 9000+ people to onlineapplications website springboardcourses.ie

• Feedback from participants: Opportunity to meetSpringboard college staff f2f at roadshows andother open events organised by colleges wasinvaluable

Online: Further improvements tospringboardcourses.ie make thewebsite an exemplar of publicservice technology.

Student experience: 2013 Call forproposals will reward colleges whocan demonstrate (i) strongemployment and related outcomesfor graduates to-date; and (ii) thatthey have embraced the concept ofbeing ‘easy to do business with’,recognising that the Springboardcohort need active support and fullinclusion in the experience of beingat college.

Guidance: Freephone guidance linewill be further developed in 2013 inpartnership with Irish NationalOrganisation of the unemployed.Enhanced guidance services alsoprovided by Springboard colleges,Department of Social Protectionand local employment services.

Marketing and awareness ofSpringboard: 3-4 nationalroadshows will take place, withactive involvement from colleges,employers, career and Departmentof Social Protection services inregion. Effective local and national

marketing with key focus on successto-date of Springboard graduates,with ‘upbeat’ student storiesembedded in the media to ensurethat this ‘route to success’ becomesmore widely known. Furtherpartnership work with DSP toensure guidance available onSpringboard in all local offices

RPL: All Springboard colleges willhave expanded their use ofRecognition of Prior Learning withSpringboard applicants, with aparticular focus on ‘capacity tosucceed’. Good examples of practiceare disseminated.

one-year courses: All Springboard2013 courses will be twelve-monthsor less in duration

Job readiness training:Will be arequired element of all Springboardcourses in 2013. Access to careersupport post-completion to beexplored with the Department ofSocial Protection, to reverse the2012 response that 75% had noaccess to this key service aftercompleting their course

Work Placement:Objective that>75% of Springboard 2013 courseshave a work placement or internshipavailable for participants

Industry: Support and promotionstrategy will be agreed with keynetworks of employers andemployer representatives. Linkspromoted with industry,Springboard ambassadors

Employment:HEA will workfurther with Department of SocialProtection to enhance post-completion guidance and support,including recruitment database foruse by employers, sector-specificjob fairs. Employers will beencouraged to communicateoutcomes of their planning to fillcurrent and future skills gaps in theircompanies

Implementation and evaluation:There will be continuousimprovement of the process ofimplementation and evaluation ofSpringboard, drawing on feedbackfrom participants, colleges andother key stakeholders.

}HARNESSINGTHE ExPERIENCEOF OuRPARTICIPANTS – EFFort FoCuS2013

4.7% €60,000+ PER ANNUM

5.3% €50,000 - €59,999 PER ANNUM

10.9% €40,000 - €49,999 PER ANNUM

20.1% €29,000 - €39,999 PER ANNUM

22.2% €21,000 - €28,999 PER ANNUM

12.9% €13,000 - €20,999 PER ANNUM

24.8% < €12,999 PER ANNUM

SPringboard graduatESalary band SurvEy 2013

Springboardsuccess stories

brendan worked for acourier company and whenhe lost his job in 2010 hedecided he wanted to createhis own opportunities and soenrolled on a Springboardcourse in Entrepreneurship.He has set up his ownbusiness with the skillslearned on his course andplans to continue his studies.He says “If you’d asked me ifI had the confidence to setup my own business, I’d havesaid no. Now, I am veryconfident about making mybusiness a success.”

Carl a buyer and supplychain manager with 25 yearsexperience, was maderedundant twice, once in2010 and again in 2011.Seeing that the market hadreally slowed down heapplied to do an upskillingcourse for thepharmaceutical and medicaldevices industry. Withinthree months of starting hiscourse Carl got a job as aprocurement engineer in acompany specialising in tidalenergy systems.

ronan is an experiencedfinance professional with acareer spanning over 25years. Following redundancyin 2010, Ronan applied todo a Business Innovationcourse. While he was still onhis course Ronan wassuccessful in gainingemployment in a financialservices company. In his jobRonan is developing newbusiness opportunities inIreland and in continentalEurope in the area oftreasury services.

Carl worked as an industrial electrician for eight yearsbefore becoming unemployed in 2011. He heard anad about Springboard on the radio and appliedthrough www.springboardcourses.ie to do anIndustrial Automation course. He has successfullyreturned to work for a company who install andmanage industrial automation systems in Ireland.

Elaine is a graduate who worked in business but foundherself unemployed for almost a year. Elaine says shewanted to use the opportunity to build on herinformation technology and marketing experience. Sheapplied to do a Digital Marketing course. Within fourmonths of starting the course Elaine foundemployment as a project manager with a globalsoftware company. Elaine says “Having beenunemployed for a year, I found it very beneficial tohave a Springboard course on my CV. The subjects Istudies are very relevant to the industry and reallyhelped my career progression”.

Springboard is a keyGovernment initiative toensure that people outof work have access toskills enhancement as ameans of getting back

into sustainableemployment

HIGHER EDUCATION AUTHORITYHEAthe Higher Education authority Brooklawn House Shelbourne Road Dublin 4 Tel: +353 1 231 7100 Fax: +353 1 231 7172 LoCall: 1890 200 637 Email: info@hea.ie Web: www.hea.ie

an tÚdarás um ard-oideachas Teach Plasóg an tSrutháin Bóthar Síol mBrain Baile Átha Cliath 4 Guthán: +353 1 231 7100 Facs: +353 1 231 7172 Íosghlao: 1890 200 637 Ríomhphost: info@hea.ie Gréasán: www.hea.ie

Springboard is managed by the National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education, HEA on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills