Job-seekers

Increase your employability and make new contacts in industry by getting training with South West Gnó Skillnet.

If you are unemployed and fulfil the Skillnets definition of a job-seeker you can attend a range of Skillnets courses at no cost and with no impact on your social welfare payments or benefits. Look at eligibility criteria and funding to find out more.By training with a Skillnets network, not only will you be able to access training that is directly relevant to industry needs but there is an added advantage of networking opportunities with companies and employees in your chosen sector and/or region.

The following rules apply to funding for job-seekers:

• Unemployed trainees will not be charged programme fees or any other costs associated with training participation
• Unemployed trainees cannot be paid any training-related allowance by a network, member company or referral agency eg. FÁS or Local Employment Services
• Organisations referring unemployed clients to networks eg. FÁS or Local Employment Services cannot contribute funding to any network

Please note that Skillnets training programmes are part of a scheme agreed with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). An individual’s benefits and entitlements will remain unaffected by network training participation, subject to the normal social welfare rules applying.

You are eligible to attend Skillnets courses as a job-seeker if you are:

• Registered with the Department of Social Protection (DSP)
  and
• Are in receipt of Job-seekers Allowance (JA) or Job-seekers Benefit (JB)

The above conditions apply to individuals who are full time unemployed and seasonal/casual/part-time/short-time workers.

Former sole traders/small business owners are also eligible if they have formally notified the DSP that they have ceased trading.For more detailed information on eligibility criteria please see below.

• Skillnets' training provision for the unemployed is Department of Social Protection (DSP) approved. Consequently unemployed trainees are not required to seek prior approval from a Social Welfare local office before commencing training.
• If training occurs on the same day as a signing day, it is the responsibility of the unemployed trainee to inform the Social Welfare local office and arrange an alternative signing date prior to commencing training.
• Trainees should be aware that network managers may seek information about previous work history, education and career aspirations so as to ensure the programme they are interested in completing is relevant.
• All trainees, including job-seekers, are required to complete a Participant Profile Form and Evaluation Form after completing the training.
• Skillnets and/or a network may contact unemployed trainees after a programme is complete for the purposes of evaluating programmes and determining how people have progressed since completing training.
• Duration of unemployment is not a criterion for determining eligibility to participate in training.
• In addition to Skillnets eligibility criteria, prospective trainees should contact South West Gnó Skillnet directly as networks may use additional selection criteria.
• Skillnets eligibility criteria is currently under review. The results will be communicated to networks in July 2010 and made available on this website.