Unemployed graduates in Ireland are being encouraged back into education with the launch of part-time diplomas in a wide range of subjects.

The schemes, which are being funded by the Irish Government through its Labour Market Activation Strategy and are open to graduates who have been unemployed for six months or made redundant, aim to improve the skills of employees entering into areas of work considered important for economic growth. These include the digital media sector, software development, financial services, computing and green technology.

The latest courses, to be launched next month at Trinity College Dublin, will focus on developing the IT skills of those with a background in the industry and those completely new to it.

There are 25 places available between the two schemes and students are charged ?500 a year for the course. Tuition fees of ?2,500 per year will be paid by the Government.