Nurturing Skills Learner Fund

In December, 2023 in line with commitments in Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028 the pilot of a new Nurturing Skills Learner Fund (NSLF) was launched. The pilot NSLF aims to assist early year’s educators to pursue early learning and care (ELC) qualifications at level 7 and level 8 that have been approved by the Qualifications Advisory Board (QAB) while continuing to work in the sector.

At the heart of Nurturing Skills is a vision of “a well-qualified, skilled, diverse and valued professional workforce that is centred on children’s rights, needs and potential and that provides quality experiences for children in partnership with families, and which continues to advance its professional development within a coherent and competent system.” The new pilot NSLF will play an important role in achieving this vision.

The scheme applies to those Early Years Educators who are entering an NSLF approved ELC level 7 or 8 qualification for the first time, therefore an applicant for NSLF must not hold or be undertaking an Approved Course at level 7 or level 8 at the time of application and funding.

The NSLF makes up to a 90% contribution to course fees for participating students. Funding will be paid each year to an amount of 80% of the total cost of course fees (after discounting other governmental assistance such as Free Fees, SUSI etc..) to a maximum cap of €3,200 per academic year. This funding will be paid directly to the educational intuition on behalf of successful applicants. The remaining 10% (of the overall 90% contribution) will be refunded to the applicants after completion of the course and contingent on the successful applicants remaining working in the sector for 6 months after completing.

This is a pilot scheme and is limited to funding available. Therefore, where demand is greater that the available funding, selection of successful applicants will be based on a prioritisation criteria.

For the academic year 2024/2025, over 600 applicants were completed and verified as meeting the criteria for the pilot NSLF. 350 applicants were successful and received NSLF funding for the academic year 2024/2025.

This pilot is being extended to a second intake of up to 350 Educators seeking to upskill to Level 7 and Level 8 ELC Qualifications in the academic year 2025/2026.

Applications for the Pilot NSLF will open on 12th March 2025, via Pobal, to early years educators who meet the eligibility criteria, with a view to educators who are selected for the pilot receiving financial support for studies commencing in Autumn 2025.

The NSLF is co-funded by the European Union through the ESF+ Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training programme (EIST) 2021-27. The NSLF is included under the Skills and Lifelong Learning strand with the aim of promoting lifelong learning, in particular flexible upskilling and reskilling opportunities for all.

The pilot NSLF, will open for Early Years Educators to make application 12th March 2025 for new entrants to courses in the academic year 2025/2026 (Autumn 2025)

(existing students who successfully received NSLF funding for Academic Year 2024/2025 and wish to continue to receive funding for NSLF for Academic Year 2025/2026)

Pobal will contact continuing students directly in early summer asking individuals to verify their continuing eligibility for NSLF. Once eligibility is confirmed a new letter of Conditional Funding will issue to the student for the academic year 2025/2026.

Those wishing to make an application must meet the following eligibility criteria for the NSLF,

• be working with children in a Tusla-registered Early Learning and Care (ELC) or School Age Childcare (SAC) service,

• the service in which the applicant is working in, must have a current signed Core Funding contract with DCEDIY.

• Applicants must have worked within an ELC or SAC service for the six months prior to their application.

• Be a new entrant to an Approved Course for the academic year commencing 2025/2026 (Autumn 2025)

• Not be an ELC educator or SAC practitioner currently undertaking the completion of an Approved Course or an equivalent degree; and

• Not be an ELC educator or SAC practitioner who has already completed an Approved Course or equivalent degree.

For clarity purposes, at time of application an applicant must not hold or be undertaking an Approved Course at level 7 or level 8

Applicants must have a current application/offer for 2025/2026 entry to a Level 7/8 Degree course approved by the Qualification Advisory Board (QAB) that is eligible for NSLF. In 2025 the pilot scheme is only open to those entering an approved ELC degree programme for the first time. The list of eligible courses for the academic year 2025/2026 can be found on this website at this Eligible Institutions and Courses for academic year

The pilot NSLF is designed to complement and add to other Government financial supports, such as the Free Fees Initiative and SUSI grants and the scheme will make a contribution of up to 90% of course fees over the course of the degree.

Funding will be paid each academic year to an amount of 80% of the total cost of course fees (after discounting other governmental assistance such as Free Fees, SUSI etc..) to a maximum cap of €3,200 per academic year. This funding will be paid directly to the educational intuition on behalf of the successful applicants. The remaining 10% (of the overall 90% contribution) will be refunded to the applicants after completion of the course and contingent on the successful applicants remaining working in the sector for 6 months after completing. Please note it is the responsibility of successful applicants to pay the remainder of their course fees plus student levies when requested by the course provider.

As the NSLF will run in a pilot phase for 2025 funding will be limited, therefore, in this pilot phase only new students for 2025/2026 will be eligible to apply. Also, where the demand for funding is greater than the supply of funding, the selection of successful applicants will be based on the following criteria in the following prioritisation order:

1. the number of graduates in the applicant’s service, with priority for applicants from services with no graduates,

2. priority index, with priority for applicants from services supporting the most disadvantaged children

3. the role of the applicant in a service, with priority for those in lead educator or manager roles.

If, after the above prioritisation has been applied and not been decisive, random selection will be applied.

The Nurturing Skills Learner Fund will open to applicants on 12th March 2025, to create an account and upload employment details and complete the new application process.

From 12th March, 2025, applicants should email Pobal, at NSLF@pobal.ie to request a link to the NSLF Student Portal.

Applicants who applied for NSLF for the academic year 2024/2025 and were unsuccessful, should make a new application for the academic year 2025/2026 through the NSLF Student Portal. Applicants should login to their NSLF account, upload employment details and complete the new application process.

Applicants will be required to complete a number of pre-requisite tasks prior to completing the application process.

The application process will close on 1st May, 2025.

Continuing Students will be contacted directly by Pobal to verify their continued eligibility for NSLF, and do not need to complete this new application process.

Pobal are administering the NSLF on behalf of the Department of Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth. All queries relating to the scheme must be addressed by email to NSLF@pobal.ie

Further updates and information regarding NSLF and the application process will be available on this website at Nurturing Skills Learner Fund

The list of eligible Nurturing Skills Learner Fund Institutions and Courses for the academic year 2025/2026 can be found here. Eligible Institutions and Courses for academic year

Conditions for the Nurturing Skills Learner Fund for 2025/2026 can be found here Conditions for receipt of Nurturing Skills Learner

Rules for the Nurturing Skills Learner Fund for 2025/2026 can be found here Rules for Nurturing Skills Learner Fund (2025/2026)