The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, has recently announced a pilot of a new Nurturing Skills Learner Fund. The new Fund aims to assist early years educators to pursue early learning and care (ELC) qualifications that have been approved by the Qualifications Advisory Board (QAB) while continuing to work in the sector, in line with commitments in Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028.

Applications for the Pilot Nurturing Skills Learner Fund will open in May 2024, via Pobal, to early years educators who have applied to approved higher education institutions , with a view to educators who are selected for the pilot receiving financial support for studies commencing in September 2024.

See link below for more information:

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a9351-nurturing-skills-learner-fund/