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Flexible Workforce Development Fund

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) offers organisations free training towards the upskilling, reskilling and retraining of their staff through professional training with Edinburgh College.

What is the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF)?

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) is a fund designed in direct response to feedback from the Scottish Government’s consultation on the introduction of the UK Government Apprenticeship Levy and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) it offers organisations funding towards the upsklling and reskilling of their staff through professional trainning at their local college.

The fund is typically renewed once a year from September, allowing employers to tap into it's benefits annually.

What are the benefits?

  • Your business will save on training costs
  • It can help identify and meet skills gaps in your business
  • It can provide CPD opportunities for staff
  • It can help retain staff by providing reskilling or retraining options


Organisations that are eligible for funding

Your organisation may be eligible for funding via the Flexible Workforce Development Fund if:

  • You are a UK Government Apprenticeship Levy-paying organisation.

  • Your organisation has an annual payroll bill of £3 million or more.

  • You are a small and medium-sized UK enterprise (SME) in any sector such as private, public or third sector.

 

Funding Option 1

Funding Option 2

Organisation

Type

  • UK Government Apprenticeship
    Levy-paying organisations
  • Organisations that have an annual
    payroll bill of £3 million or more.
  • Small and medium-sized UK
    enterprises (SMEs).

Funding

Available

Up to £15,000

(2022-23)

Up to £5,000

(2022-23)

The deadline for applications to the FWDF is 31 July 2023. 

How do I apply for the fund?

Step 1

Contact the college's business development team:

Step 2

Our team will invite you for a discussion which will cover:

  • Your business's training needs
  • Providing evidence of the business's eligibility for the funding
  • An analysis of the business's (or the supply chain's if applicable) skills gap(s)
  • Identifying the link to increasing productivity of your organisation


Step 3

Our team will then start to create your application to the FWDF by:

  • Identifying the training required.
  • Setting out the anticipated impact of training on skills gap(s) and productivity for a Levy-paying company.
  • Agreeing arrangements for training: timescale of delivery, number of employees, developmental goals, type and level of accreditation offered, cost per course.

Step 4

Our team will help you submit your FWDF application form.

Step 5

Your training is delivered in accordance with your agreed contract.

FWDF Enquiry Form

Fill in this form to start your free training.

Make an enquiry
Enter your company name
Enter your full name
Enter your phone number including your area code
Enter a summary of your training requirements
This form collects your company name, name and email address so we can contact you with information regarding our training and business services. Read our privacy policy to find out how we collect, store and use your data.

What training is available with the fund?

Training can be tailored to your organisation’s needs with assistance from the Edinburgh College team. This means that we can access our portfolio of defined courses and units to create a training programme or build a unique offering from the ground up. The fund does not support qualifications or training needed for legislation.

Our training courses can be tailored to suit your business needs. We can deliver our teaching virtually through Microsoft Teams or Zoom, at your workplace or in person at one of our campuses.

Examples of training include but are not limited to:

Area Examples of Training
Accounting and Legal Services
  • Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) courses
Adobe Software

Adobe Creative Cloud including:

  • Illustrator
  • InDesign
  • Premiere Pro
  • Photoshop
Food Hygiene

 

  • The Royal Environment Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) Advanced
  • The Royal Environment Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) Elementary
Health and Safety
  • Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
  • The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)
HR, Business and Leadership
  • Chartered Institute of Personnel and Developement (CIPD)
  • Chatered Management Institute (CMI)
  • The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM)
Management Soft Skills
  • Communication Skills
  • Change Management
  • Leading and Motivating
  • and more
 Marketing
  • Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
Mental Health
  • Mental Health First Aid
Microsoft Office

Beginner to advanced level in:

  • Excel
  • Word
  • Powerpoint
Remote Working Skills
  • Managing Remote Teams
  • Holding Virtual Meetings
  • Make Working from Home Work

FWDF FAQs

Frequently asked questions about the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF).

What is the Flexible Workforce Development Fund?

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) is a fund designed in direct response to feedback from the Scottish Government’s consultation on the introduction of the UK Government Apprenticeship Levy and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) it offers organisations funding towards the upsklling and reskilling of their staff through professional trainning at their local college.

Who is eligible for the fund?

Your organisation may be eligible for funding via the Flexible Workforce Development Fund if:

  • You are a UK Government Apprenticeship Levy-paying organisation.

  • Your organisation has an annual payroll bill of over £3 million or more.

  • You are a small and medium-sized UK enterprise (SME) in any sector such as private, public or third sector.

How can I apply for the fund?

Apprenticeship Levy Paying Employers will be required to submit evidence of their eligibility to pay the levy alongside their FWDF application. This can be P32, EPS or any reports to HMRC.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be required to submit evidence of their eligibility status as a business alongside their FWDF application. This can be a business bank account, PAYE registration, VAT registration, Companies House, or Registration for self-assessment tax return. 

Edinburgh College will work with employers to identify training needs that will make a demonstrable return on investment. For more information on this fund and to start your application please contact us.

How is the training delivered?

The large majority of our courses can be delivered virtually using platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom whilst maintaining interaction between delegates and trainer.

Where there’s necessity some courses may also be delivered face-to-face or in a blended format of both virtual and in-person training. This includes training at our college campuses or at your place of work whilst adhering to Government guidance on social distancing and health and safety restrictions.

What training is available with the fund?

Training can be tailored to your organisation’s needs with assistance from the Edinburgh College team.

The fund does not support qualifications or training needed for legislation.

How long do you have to access the fund?

The deadline for applications is 31 July 2023.

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Testimonials and Case Studies

Read and listen to feedback from our current professional training clients who have benefited from the Flexible Workforce Development Fund.

Testimonials and Case Studies
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Innovation Grants

Innovation Grants can be a great aid for organisations to secure funding to help introduce a new business element or streamline internal processes.

Find out more