There are plenty of government training grants available in Scotland to help you train for a new profession and find a job that’s right for you. Whether you’re looking to retrain due to a recent redundancy or you’d just like a change of direction in your career, this Skills Training Group guide outlines the grants and funds that are open for applications right now.
Once you’ve found a funding opportunity that you’re eligible to apply for, take a look at our post on adult training courses to learn more about the types of retraining opportunities that we offer.
The National Transition Fund
In response to the rise in unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Government recently launched the National Transition Training Fund. Organised by Skills Development Scotland, this £25 million scheme is designed to help you if you’ve been made redundant by providing access to training and enabling you to achieve an industry-recognised qualification.
Lots of people living in Scotland are eligible for the National Transition Fund but aren’t aware that it could help them. If you’re over the age of 25 and lost your job after the 1st March 2020, then the programme is for you; those who are currently employed but at risk of redundancy can also benefit from training grants to support them as they retrain to find new work.
To find out more about the Skills Development Scotland funding that’s available and how you can access it, visit the National Transition Training Fund page
The Individual Training Account Scheme
Originally launched in October 2017 as part of the Government’s Labour Market Strategy, the Individual Training Account (ITA) Scheme provides you with up to £200 of funding towards a training course of your choice. The programme is available to those who are either:
- Actively seeking employment
- Currently in low paid work and looking to further their career.
The ITA scheme offers you a grant rather than a loan, so you won’t have to pay back any of the contributions you receive towards your training course. That said, it’s worth bearing in mind that you can only use the funds to apply for one course per year.
The current cycle for the ITA began on the 1st July 2020 and will remain open for you to apply until the 28th February 2021. If the target of 28,000 applicants is met before this date, however, the scheme will close early, so it’s worth applying sooner rather than later.
The Employability Fund
The Employability Fund is administered by Skills Development Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. The scheme was founded with the aim of helping Scotland’s unemployed to bounce back and develop the work-related skills they need to kickstart their careers.
This programme emphasises the need to pick up abilities through work experience. With a highly localised focus, the training you receive will not only be based on your own individual interests but also the need for labour in your local area, helping you to acquire skills that are in demand.
To learn more or discover if you’re eligible, find your local Skills Development Scotland office via the contact page and get in touch.
This guide has explored a range of government funds for training courses in Scotland. If you’ve found a grant that could support you in retraining for a new role, then head over to our new entrant gas engineer courses to learn about how we can help.
Alternatively, to find out more information about any of the schemes discussed here, use the links below:
Download your free information pack
Find out how you could train as a domestic gas engineer by downloading a free copy of our information pack.
