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2011 Step Up Education and Training Grant Announced
Published: 2011-08-24

Staff of NTLP are pleased to announced the availability of this year's STEP UP Grant for Education and Training.  With a difficult employment climate, many people are looking at furthering their education and skills as a way of improving their prospects.

Three Information meetings will be held on the following dates:
Thurles         Thurles Library/The Source      10-12pm  Sat. Sept 3rd
Roscrea        Resource Centre Newline         1-3pm       Sat. Sept 3rd
Nenagh        84/85 Connolly Street               4-6pm       Sat. Sept 3rd

For further information, call 06756676 from 4pm-5pm Tuesdays-Thursdays.

The STEP UP! Grant for Education and Training is aimed primarily at low-income families and people with lower involvement in education. It is available to jobseekers, people in receipt of social welfare, and low income families, who are in full or part-time further education and training. Applicants must be resident in the North Tipperary area.

This grant supports costs associated with education and training undertaken in the calendar year 2011. These include the following:
• Tuition Fees • Materials Costs • Accommodation Costs
Phone Bills, Computer Equipment will not be funded.
Repeat courses, second degrees, Masters, PhD’s will not be funded,

Selection will be based on the information supplied (see checklist, page 3). Assistance will be given to those demonstrating greatest need, subject to available funding. Completed application forms will be accepted until 14th October 2011. Late applications will not be considered.

STEP UP! GRANT Application Process
1. Fill in form. Answer all questions. Grants will not be processed without all the supporting information eg. receipts, letters (See Checklist at end of form)
2. Drop in, or post to North Tipperary LEADER Partnership, Connolly/Silver Street, Nenagh. (Email applications will NOT be accepted.)
3. NTLP Staff will review applications and contact people if further information is required.
4. Applicants will be informed of NTLP decision to fund or not.
5. Applicants will call to Nenagh office to collect and sign for payments.

Notes
Funding is limited. 100% funding will not be given.
Applicants will be contacted as part of the application process.
Successful Applicants will collect grant cheques in early December 2011.
Due to time constraints, no appeals process can be facilitated.
Conditions as set out in the letter of offer to successful applicants must be adhered to i.e. signed contract/receipts as appropriate. Successful applicants will be expected to provide North Tipperary LEADER Partnership with information and feedback, as requested. Applicants can only apply for assistance for one course.

Background
This Between September and November 2010, NTLP ran a special grant for further education, training and skills, called the "Step Up! Grant."
Through consultation with unemployed people and relevant agencies, North Tipperary LEADER Partnership identified cost as a barrier to participation and progression to education and training.  156 applications were received, of whom 122 people received grants. The average grant amount was 552 euro.
In an evaluation of the grant carried out by Michelle Brady, a student of Tipperary Institute on placement with NTLP, just under one third (32%) of students who applied for funding were aged between 25-34 years old.  One quarter (25%) of funded applicants were aged between 25-34 years old. 

Most support was requested for further education courses (41%), 25% of applicants were studying third level under graduate course, with 8% undertaking upskilling or training.

TUS Community Work Programme - Call out to Groups
Published: 2011-07-08

TÚS Community Work Initiative - Call out to Community and Voluntary Groups

Information evenings will be held in three locations in North Tipperary.

North Tipperary LEADER Partnership (NTLP) manages the local delivery of the TÚS – Community Work Placement Initiative on behalf of the Department of Social Protection. The aims of TÚS are to provide short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed and to provide certain services of benefit to communities.  

NTLP is now accepting applications from community and voluntary groups in both Urban and Rural areas to participate in the TÚS – Community Work Placement Initiative.

Work undertaken on TÚS will be beneficial to the local community and to the participants on the scheme. The types of projects carried out are likely to include:

• Energy conservation work in homes and community buildings
• Social care of all age groups and persons with a disability or limited mobility
• Caretaking, securing, supervising of community buildings and spaces
• Renovation of community and sporting facilities, including the regeneration and enhancement of community, recreation and sporting spaces
• Work in support of the promotion of the Irish language, other cultural and heritage activities
• Community administration, research and community event management
• Repair of equipment for developing world – farm tools, bicycles, computers, sewing machines, health equipment.

Community work under TUS should meet the following conditions:

• Not duplicate existing commercial activity or duplicate service provision by another agency
• Be a quality placement
• Make a meaningful contribution within communities
• Support voluntary effort

 All applications will be evaluated and scored on these criteria by NTLP staff, who recommend successful groups to NTLP’s TÚS Committee. The Committee may prioritize geographical areas of North Tipperary which do not have access to existing work schemes.

For any informal queries please contact Michael Murray, David Kyne or Mary O’Dwyer on 067-56676

Application form is available in the download section or by clicking here.

Full Information on the Initiative is available from the Department of Social Protection website.