Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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716. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the anticipated impact on training courses in the 2025-2026 academic year of the end of the human capital initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4159/25]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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717. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the €50 million increase in funding for ‘enterprise-focused higher education’ under the National Training Fund, as set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2025, will be made available to training courses currently funded by the human capital initiative, given that the initiative is due to come to an end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4160/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 716 and 717 together.

The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) represents a ringfenced €300m investment from the National Training Fund into our higher education sector over the last five years 2020 to 2024. This initiative has been successful in boosting skills provision capacity and enhancing innovation and agility within our higher education system over the past five years.

For the 2024/25 academic year, graduate conversion courses under HCI Pillar 1 are subsidised. These courses may continue to be offered by higher education institutions in the future, without the specific HCI subsidy. Additionally, micro-credential courses that have subsidised through the HCI will remain subsidised for both the current academic year and the 2025/26 academic year.

In January, a call was issued to higher education institutions for proposals for courses to be included in the Springboard+ scheme over the next three years. While the funding allocation for Springboard+ 2025 remains the same as 2024, the call specifies that courses subsidised hereto under HCI Pillar 1 and micro-credential courses may be included in proposals, provided they meet the criteria outlined in the call and do not overlap with existing HCI funding.

The Deputy will be aware that the Enterprise Focused Higher Education (EFHE) measure is separate to the temporary Human Capital Initiative. The EFHE provides skills-related recurrent funding through the national Training Fund in recognition of higher education programmes that are particularly oriented towards meeting identified labour market needs. It provides recurrent funding to higher education institutions that are under the remit of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in respect of programmes that are producing graduates to meet identified areas of particular skills needs and specific skills gaps. The courses that are funded lead to a major award qualification at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Decisions with regard to future priorities will be considered in the context of this year’s estimates process, having regard to the priorities as set out in the Programme for Government.