Funded upskilling training for employees
The Workforce Development Fund is a project made possible by funding from the government's Shared Prosperity Fund. Through this project, employers can access financial support to aid employee training and skills development.
What is the Workforce Development Fund?
The Workforce Development Fund is a project funded by UK Shared Prosperity Funds provided by Warrington Borough Council. It will support the cost of upskill training delivered by Warrington & Vale Royal College.
Who is the Workforce Development Fund for?
The Workforce Development Fund supports the cost of training programmes for those who are employed by a business based within the Warrington borough and who need to access training in order to upskill.
The Fund is designed to support the cost of tuition on training courses delivered by Warrington & Vale Royal College that do not already attract funding (such as Adult Skills Fund courses).
Employer Eligibility Criteria
Application to the Workforce Development Fund must be made by the employer themselves rather than the employee who will undergo the requested training. The application should be approved by an appropriate member of staff that may include:
- The CEO or Managing Director of the company
- A HR Manager or L&D Manager
- A Senior Manager
Applications to the Fund can be received from any company/employer who is based within the borough of Warrington and meets one of the following eligibility criteria:
- Is a micro-organisation or sole trader
- Is classed as an SME (in line with the UK Government’s definition of a small to medium sized enterprise)
- Conducts its core business within one of the following local priority sectors: Health & Social Care, Manufacturing & Engineering, Construction, Life Sciences, Information & Communication/Digital, Logistics and E-commerce
- Is applying to the Fund to support the cost of training in one of the following priority cross-sectoral skills: Digital, Green Skills/Low Carbon, and Leadership & Management.
Individual Employer-Referred Student Eligibility
Applications to the Fund can only be approved for employer-referred students who are:
- 19+ years old
- not already enrolled on a funded course or apprenticeship.
Please note that whilst it is a requirement of the Fund that the company/employer is based in the Warrington borough, the employee(s) who will undertake the training do not need to reside in the Warrington borough.
How much funding can an organisation apply for?
Funding is limited to a maximum of £6000 per organisation.
What courses are eligible for funding?
Courses that are eligible for application include:
- Full cost accredited programmes
- Full cost non-accredited courses
- Adult Skills Fund courses where the applicant is not eligible for funding
- Higher level programmes (L3-L5) that are not being funded via a student loan.
What courses are not eligible for funding?
Courses that are not eligible for application include:
- 16-18 (School Leaver) Programme of Study courses
- Courses that are co-funded or fully funded via the Adult Skills Fund
- Apprenticeships.
How do I apply to the Workforce Development Fund?
If interested, contact us using the form below and one of our Business & Partnership Managers will help you to identify your training needs and the solutions Warrington & Vale Royal College can offer.
You will then need to complete an application form, which is available at the bottom of this webpage. Please also refer to our Workforce Development Fund Policy for all other terms and conditions.
Application to the Workforce Development Fund must be made by the employer themselves rather than the employee who will undergo the requested training. Completed application forms should be submitted to workforcedevelopmentfund@wvr.ac.uk.
