National Reform in Higher Education

14.4 National reforms in higher education

Funding the Future

In May 2022, the Government approved the publication of  Funding the Future, a landmark policy on the future of higher education. Funding the Future establishes a clear commitment to increased and sustainable core funding of the higher education system. The policy was launched in response to the independent report “Increasing the Sustainability of Higher and Further Education in Ireland”, a comprehensive economic evaluation of the various funding options presented in the Cassells Expert Group Report.

A funding gap of €307m has been identified through Funding the Future. It is intended to provide additional funding through the annual budgetary process to eliminate this funding shortfall. Funding for future demographic growth and new policy proposals will be in addition to this..The Government has decided that that a multi-funded model will be be adopted as the funding model for higher education. This would comprise a mix of Exchequer investment, employer contributions through the National Training Fund and student contributions.

Funding the Future sets out the vision and direction of higher education funding, a commitment to addressing legacy issues in higher education and detailing ambitious plans for investment and reform.

This includes –

• planned additional investment of €307 million to address core funding challenges for our institutions, that will be made over a number of years through annual budgetary processes. This does not account for future demographic needs or new policy proposals for higher education.
• plans to consider options to address cost as a barrier to higher education, and how we will pursue funding measures on these issues through the Estimates process, including in respect of reductions to the student contribution and enhancements to the SUSI grant (Student grant) in line with the Student Grant Review.

Funding the Future identifies five priority strands of work on which progress is being made.

• Strand 1: Enhance quality and international standing of the higher education system across the three missions of teaching and learning, research and engagement

• Strand 2: Drive skills and engagement – with a particular focus on essential public services

• Strand 3: Enhancing student participation and success with a focus on under-represented groups

• Strand 4: Create a unified knowledge and skills system which is balanced and integrated

• Strand 5: Address cost as a barrier to higher education and improve student supports

Work on these pillars of reform will be addressed through the Funding the Future Reform and Implementation Group (FFIRG), which is co-chaired by the Minister, Professor Tom Collins and Professor Anne Looney, and its associated working groups. Working group 1, chaired by Professor Looney, is examining how Strand 1 and 4 can be progressed, and Working Group 2, chaired by Professor Tom Collins, is examining how Strand 2, 3 and 5 can be progressed.

The groups comprise membership from sectoral, enterprise, societal and Government/agency representatives, to ensure ongoing consensus on the outcomes required from the higher education system and to oversee progress against identified reforms to take place alongside implementation of the funding model.

Given the strong need for alignment of skills outputs with needs of employers, the National Training Fund will continue to form part of the funding model.  Investment to date through the National Training Fund has made a significant contribution, supporting apprenticeship provision, funding innovative approaches through the Human Capital Initiative and delivering enterprise focused programmes which are responsive to skills needs.  This continued investment is strategically important to the continued agility and responsiveness of higher education to national socio and economic priorities. 

Budget 2023 included €40m for the reform agenda under Funding the Future, with funding being allocated to priority areas identified by the working groups.

National Reform in Higher Education

Springboard was launched in 2011 as part of the Government’s Jobs Initiative to provide free and heavily subsidised upskilling and reskilling opportunities through higher education in areas of identified skills need. Since then, it has evolved alongside economic improvements to also address the skills development needs of those already in employment. Springboard+ courses are at Level 6 (Certificate) to Level 9 (Masters) on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and are delivered in public and private education facilities around the country. Courses are generally less than a year, and lead to awards at national certificate, national diploma, degree and post graduate level. Full-time intensive conversion courses under the ICT Skills Action Plan also form part of the initiative.

Springboard+ complements the core State-funded education and training system and is one of several initiatives designed to meet current and future skill needs of the Irish economy. Funding is allocated to Springboard+ from the National Training Fund (NTF) on an annual basis.  Springboard+ provides free or 90% funded upskilling and reskilling courses to develop the talent base in Ireland in key growth sectors of the economy by supporting those who are unemployed or Returners to gain sustainable employment. In addition, it provides opportunities for workforce development to enhance the skill levels of those in employment and increase the national rate of lifelong learning. Collaboration between enterprise and higher education providers is key to the design and delivery of the programmes.

The programme is unique in that programmes are on offer in both public and private higher education providers. Most programmes are delivered either fully online or in a blended format making them fully accessible.

The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) was announced as part of Budget 2019 and commenced in 2020, aims to increase capacity in higher education to provide skills-focused programmes designed to meet priority skills needs. Some key HCI objectives are to increase provision in areas of identified skills need; future proof graduates with industry relevant skills for emerging technologies; ensure that there is a greater focus across the whole spectrum of higher education course provision on promoting and embedding transversal skills; and incentivise continued reform and innovation in higher education provision building on best practice available nationally and internationally. The HCI consists of 3 main pillars - graduate conversion and specialisation courses, additional places on undergraduate provision, and an innovation and agility fund.

Pillar 1: Graduate Conversion Programmes

These Graduate Conversion programmes extend the approach currently in place for ICT under Springboard+, offering incentivised places for graduates to reskill in areas of skills shortage and emerging technologies. These are being run alongside, and complementary to, the Springboard+ offerings.

Pillar 2: Expansion of Existing Places on Undergraduate Courses

Pillar 2 provides additional undergraduate student places to address identified key areas of enterprise skills needs including, but not limited to, Science, Engineering, ICT, and Professional Construction qualifications.

Pillar 3: Innovation and Agility

This pillar has two key areas of focus – innovation in modes and methods of delivery and an agility fund.

Technological Universities Agenda

The Technological Universities Agenda is a commitment in the Programme for Government 2020, following the establishment of Technological University Dublin on 01 January 2019, merging Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown and Institute of Technology, Tallaght. The development and progression of technological universities (TUs) is an established policy objective of Government in the context of higher education landscape restructuring, research capacity building and socio-economic regional development. It has its genesis in recommendations contained in the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 published in 2011. TUs, acting as catalysts for innovation and regional development, bring a range of benefits to their regions and hinterlands including increased FDI and capital investment, research funding, international recognition and enable students, staff, enterprise, business and the wider community to avail of increased opportunities in their own areas which, in turn, stand to reap the rewards of further socio-economic progress.

Beginning in 2020, the Technological Universities Transformation Fund (TUTF) was established, replacing the former TU Landscape Fund, details of which may be seen in the table below:

2023

Springboard+

Now going into its in its thirteenth year, over €350m has been spent on Springboard+ and over 100,000 people have benefited from a Springboard+ course to date.

There was no new call for Springboard+ 2023/24 as programmes are being funded on a multiannual basis. Springboard+ 2023/24 programmes will be launched in Q2 2023 with 8,700 new places on offer.

Human Capital Initiative

The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 1, Graduate Conversion Programmes, was launched in June 2020. These courses are one year, full time conversion courses at Levels 8 and 9, in areas of identified skills need, building on experience of the ICT Conversion Courses under Springboard+. To date, HCI Pillar 1 has provided 7,288 graduate conversion places on 95 courses over a 3-year period.

Under HCI Pillar 1 2023 a call for proposals was published to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in January 2023. HCI Pillar 1 2023 is due to launch in Q2 2023. HCI Pillar 1 courses will have a particular focus on areas where there are critical skill shortages in the labour market – responding to twin green and digital transitions. This includes courses on climate, sustainability and renewable energy, as well as ICT; manufacturing and construction; engineering; financial services; medical devices; biopharma; entrepreneurship; and green skills.

To date HCI Pillar 2: Expansion of Existing Places on Undergraduate Courses has delivered some 1000 additional graduates in high skills needs areas.

HCI Pillar 3: Innovation and Agility is focused on the core principle of embedding innovation and agility across a wide spectrum of undergraduate provision. Twenty-four projects developing innovative, and responsive models of programme delivery, are underway. The projects address a variety of initiatives from the development of national systems for Micro Credentials and Recognition of Prior Learning to developments in course provision in additive manufacturing, cyber security and financial services. These projects will boost the higher education systems ability to respond rapidly to changes in both skills requirements and technology and strengthen collaboration with enterprise. The DCU Futures, four-year project will transform the learning of undergraduate students, reconceptualising how we teach, introducing exciting new areas of study, and embedding the digital literacies, disciplinary competencies and transferable skills students will require to thrive in the post-COVID19 world. With industry partnerships, it will establish a structured pathway that focuses on the development of 21st century skills and create capacity for over 1,000 additional students.

Technological Universities Agenda

As of 2023, all of the prospective TUs have been established, with only Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and Institute of Arts, Design and Technology Dun Laoghaire (IADT) remaining outside the TU landscape at this point in time. Focus is now on continued support of the TUs. While the Technological University Transformation Fund (TUTF) has expired, additional funding streams have come on-line for the technological sector.

Funding the Future

Budget 2023 saw the first additional allocation under Funding the Future, with €40 million allocated to address identified core underfunding of the higher education system. This allocation includes €17.8 million for the technological sector in support of improving capacity in the technological sector with a focus on strengthening leadership, research, support staff capacity and developing research capacity. This investment is the first significant step in addressing core underfunding of the higher education system in a strategic and reformative way.

NRRP Funding

DFHERIS and the HEA secured €40 million for the period 2022 – 2024 under the National Recovery and Resilience Fund for TU education and training reforms programmes. Grant agreements were signed between the technological higher education sector as a whole (all 5 TUs and DkIT and IADT) and the HEA in April 2022 formalising an approved sectoral approach to the NRRP project and its funding for TU education and training reforms.€19 million was allocated to the HEA for programme disbursement to the NTUTORR consortium (comprising 5 TUs plus DkIT and IADT) in 2022 with the remainder expected to be drawn down in July.

ERDF Funding

DFHERIS and the HEA worked with the Regional Assemblies and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to secure just under €84 million in TU-oriented research funding entitled the TU Research and Innovation Supporting Enterprise (RISE) programme over the period of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to 2027. The programme will involve the establishment, equipping and staffing of regional research and innovation offices within the regionally based TUs to enable engagement with local and regional business, industry and enterprise stakeholders. It will also develop researcher human capital in the TUs, including staff development, recruitment, postgraduate training and supervision, networking, and collaborative knowledge-transfer and mobility schemes. The programme has now been approved by the Monitoring Committee and a HEA call for proposal will be examined by the Regional Assemblies shortly.

Student Assistance Fund

The Student Assistance Fund is a critical support, which is allocated by my Department to higher education institutions. The fund has a dual focus. It is designed to support students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with ongoing needs for financial support and to provide emergency financial assistance for other students. Students can apply for supports from this fund through their Access Office.

The core funding for the Student Assistance Fund pre-Covid is €9.1 million per annum.  This includes €1 million, which was added to the fund in 2017 for part-time students who are lone parents or members of the other access target groups under the National Access Plan. Prior to that the fund supported full-time students only.

In October 2021, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD announced a total of €17.2 million in student supports for SAF, which included an additional €8.1 million once off Covid-19 package in addition to the core funding of €9.1million.

The supports were provided as part of a €105 million package for Further and Higher Education provided by Government.

2022

Springboard

In December 2021, a call for proposals to be funded under Springboard+ 2022 was issued.  It was launched May 2022, providing for providing for over 11,000 places on 310 courses Springboard+ 2022 for the academic year 2022/2023.

Springboard+ 2022 courses are in the areas of new and emerging technologies such as Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence. Other programmes include Climate/Sustainability, Construction, and Energy, Health Innovation, Logistics, Online Retail and Creative Industries. All of these areas demonstrate the responsiveness of the higher education sector to advances in technology and changes in our environment. €49.9m was allocated to Springboard+ 2022 from the National Training Fund. The majority of courses are delivered on a blended learning basis. All courses provide job-readiness training and most offer the opportunity for work placement, project-based learning or industry site visits where appropriate.

Human Capital Initiative

Under the HCI Pillar 1, approval was granted for courses to run for the 2022/23 academic year, as part of the approval process in 2020.  €13.12m was allocated to HCI Pillar 1 2022, providing for over 2,500 places on 90 courses.

The call for proposals under HCI Pillar 2 was released by the Higher Education Authority in October 2019. Government investment of €24 million in this pillar created over 3,000 new places on 138 full-time undergraduate courses in 22 public and private higher education institutions to commence in autumn 2020 and 2021. A further 890 places on 1 and 2 year ICT graduate conversion courses are on offer under the Springboard+ 2022 initiative to commence in 2022/23 academic year.

HCI Pillar 3, Innovation and Agility, has two key areas of focus – innovation in modes and methods of delivery and an agility fund. It aims to ensure that courses in areas of skills needs demonstrate innovative methods of teaching and delivery, which will include flexibility in course provision. HCI Pillar 3 will deliver 24 projects in higher education institutions, 17 of which involve collaborations between institutions. 22 project were originally funded in 2020 and an additional 2 projects received funding in 2022. The projects include the use of virtual laboratories in higher education, a new hub to upskill the building sector on green construction, and the establishment of a Creative Futures Academy to support digital and screen culture, cinema, literature and broadcasting, art, design, and fashion. The new projects funded in 2022 are focused on innovative approaches to climate action in higher education.

Technological Universities Agenda

The TUTF reached the end of its remit this year. A summary of funds granted through it may be seen in the table below.

2021

Springboard+

In January 2021, a call for proposals to be funded under Springboard+ 2021 was issued.  Springboard+ 2021 was launched in June 2021, providing for over 11,000 places on 330 courses.

Springboard+ 2021 courses are in the areas of new and emerging technologies such as Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence. Other programmes include Climate/Sustainability, Construction, and Energy, Health Innovation, Logistics, Online Retail and Creative Industries. All of these areas demonstrate the responsiveness of the higher education sector to advances in technology and changes in our environment. €51.9m was allocated to Springboard+ 2021 from the National Training Fund. The majority of courses are delivered on a blended learning basis. All courses provide job-readiness training and most offer the opportunity for work placement, project-based learning or industry site visits where appropriate.

Human Capital Initiative

HCI Pillar 1, Graduate Conversion Programmes was launched in June 2020. Approval was granted for courses under HCI Pillar 1 to run for the 2021/22 academic year, as part of the approval process in 2020.  €13.12m was allocated to HCI Pillar 1 2021, providing for over 2,000 places on 81 courses.

HCI Pillar 2, additional places on undergraduate provision address identified key areas of enterprise skills needs including, but not limited to, Science, Engineering, ICT, and Professional Construction qualifications. Places will be provided through increased and incentivised provision in full time undergraduate provision. 3,000 new places on 138 full-time undergraduate courses in 22 higher education institutions were funded for autumn 2020 and 2021. A further 1,101 places on 1 and 2 year ICT graduate conversion courses are on offer under the Springboard+ 2021 initiative to commence in 2021/22 academic year.

HCI Pillar 3, Innovation and Agility has two key areas of focus – innovation in modes and methods of delivery and an agility fund. It aims to ensure that courses in areas of skills needs demonstrate innovative methods of teaching and delivery, which will include flexibility in course provision. HCI Pillar 3 will deliver 22 projects in higher education institutions, 17 of which involve collaborations between institutions. The projects include the use of virtual laboratories in higher education, a new hub to upskill the building sector on green construction, and the establishment of Creative Futures Academy to support digital and screen culture, cinema, literature and broadcasting, art, design, and fashion.

Modular Skills Provision

In July 2020 as part of the Government’s announcement on the July stimulus package an additional funding allocation of €47.5m was provided for Higher Education skills-related programmes. The higher education elements of the July stimulus package were in three broad areas – further support for Springboard+ and HCI Pillar 1, Funding for Postgraduate provision, and the provision of modular courses.

Funding of €15m provided 11,597 places on 538 Modular courses in 32 higher education institutions in 2020. Following the success of the 2020 July Stimulus programme a further 4,119 places were made available on Modular Skills Provision courses in 2021. All courses are shorter and more focused and will be offered in a flexible manner, allowing people to gain important skills without taking a considerable period away from the labour market. They will represent a new route into lifelong learning, and provide upskilling and reskilling opportunities for those who need it, while ensuring that they remain close to the labour market.

Technological Universities Agenda

2021 saw the establishment of the below Technological Universities, following on from the establishment of TU Dublin in 2019:

• On 01 January 2021, Munster Technological University was established, merging Cork Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology, Tralee;
• On 01 October 2021, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands & Midwest was established, merging Limerick Institute of Technology and Athlone Institute of Technology;
• On 01 April 2021, Atlantic Technological University was established, merging Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology, Sligo and Letterkenny Institute of Technology; and
• On 01 May 2021, South East Technological University was established, merging Waterford Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology, Carlow.