Cogent: Demise of Train to Gain heralds new era for skills funding
1 Mar 2011
Warrington, UK – With the last learners to benefit from Train to Gain Funding complete their training by July, employers are looking to their Sector Skills Councils and Skills Academies for funding support.
However, the government has been explicit in removing financial support and asking employers to fund their own training, according to Cogent Sector Skills Council, which supports UK science-based industries, including process.
The only positive news, it said, comes in the form of Joint Investment Programme (JIP) funding – JIP an organisational development fund for employer-driven training programmes regarded as essential to the UK economy.
Cogent is one of only five sector skills councils to receive JIP funding and the project has been split into two years.
Cogent and the National Skills Academy Process Industries (the Academy) have secured over £2m of support for training in the Cogent sector. The fund combines private and public investment and will contribute to up to 50% of the cost of a range of qualifications.
Employers that expressed an early interest in the programme have already received funding allocations for the first year, though there are still funded places available for year one.
Year 1 qualifications are as follows.
- Business Improvement Techniques - Level 3
• Diploma in Jetty Operations
• Certificate in First Line Management - Level 3
• Diploma in Management - Level 4
• Diploma in Operations & Technical Support in the Process Industries
• Certificate in Process Technology
• NVQ Diploma in Process Engineering Maintenance
Numbers for Year 1 are limited and training must be delivered through Academy Accredited providers. Training must begin before 31 July 2011, though employees will have up to 12 months to complete their training.
As the only funding available from August onwards the demand is highly likely to out-weigh supply and pro-active employers should register their interest as early as possible.
