Skills Support for the Workforce
- Name of the instrument - Local language
- Skills Support for the Workforce
- Name of the instrument - English translation
- Skills Support for the Workforce
- Scheme ID
- 324
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Reporting year
- 2020
- Type of instrument
- Grant for companies
- Sub-type of instrument
- Support for direct costs
- Type of entry
- Single instrument
- Short description
Skills Support for the Workforce is managed by Serco (contractor) through 15 Local Enterprise Partnerships to provide a range of bespoke training programmes and qualifications including IT, leadership, and management, as well as vocationally relevant courses targeting specific areas of improvement. The training is designed to meet skills gaps within local businesses, with a focus on the LEP's priorities to help boost the local economy in each area. Local companies (depending on region and regional priorities) can apply for fully-funded training for their workforce. There is no defined co-funding minimum or maximum, this is a demand-side instrument that is then allocated through regional enterprise partnerships. Similarly, eligible training is defined according to regional priorities. Employers can receive full or partial funding training costs for their employees. This is de minimis funding.
- Short description of the related instruments
- Not applicable
- Level of operation
- Part of the country
- Name of a part of the country
- lack Country
- Coventry & Warwickshire
- D2N2 (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham & Nottinghamshire)
- Dorset
- Greater Birmingham & Solihull
- Greater Cambridge & Greater Peterborough
- Heart of the South West
- Hertfordshire
- Leicester & Leicestershire
- Northamptonshire
- South East Midlands
- Stoke on Trent & Staffordshire
- Swindon & Wiltshire
- West of England and Worcestershire
- Name of the region (for regional instruments)
- Not applicable
- Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)
- Not applicable
- Relevance
- Key instrument
- Legal basis
- Not applicable
- Objective(s) and target(s)
- Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) is a programme developed to upskill employees within small and medium-sized businesses. It provides recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses to enhance your employees' skills, increase the competitiveness of your business and boost the local economy. The programme works with companies to develop a training programme relevant to their needs with a wide range of training accessible at no cost to business.
- Year of implementation
- 2014
- Year of termination
- 2020
- Operation/management
- The funding is distributed via Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and their education and training provider partners and in the local priority areas.
- Eligible group(s)
- Learner has to be employed by the applying organisation (or self-employed). The learner has to be eligible to work in the UK and aged 16+ (no upper age restriction). Training has to be delivered within an LEP region and a contracted SSW Training Provider.
- Group(s) with preferential treatment
- Not available. Skills Support for the Workforce is available to companies, but eligible groups may be different for each regional LEP.
- Education and training eligible
- This is dependent on the needs identified by the Local Enterprise Partnerships so has a wide variability in sector and type of education and training.
- Source of financing and collection mechanism
- Department of Education & Skills and European Social Fund
- Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
- Full cost of training provided through the grant.
- Eligible costs
- Not available
- Volumes of funding
- Not available
- Beneficiaries/take up
- Not available
- Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
- Education & Skills Funding Agency
- Most relevant webpage - in English
- https://www.serco-ese.com/skills-support-for-the-workforce/about
- Most relevant webpage - local language
- https://www.serco-ese.com/skills-support-for-the-workforce/about
- Recent changes
No recent amendment
Recent changes in response to COVID-19
Skills Support for Redundancy funding is now available to employers, individuals at risk of redundancy (via their employer) and individuals that have been made redundant in the last three months. Online, distance and virtual skills training, careers guidance and support to retrain for a new career is available.
- Sources
- Skills Support for the Workforce
- Short description
- Short description of the related instruments
- Level of operation
- Name of a part of the country
- Name of the region (for regional instruments)
- Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)
- Relevance
- Legal basis
- Objective(s) and target(s)
- Year of implementation
- Year of termination
- Operation/management
- Eligible group(s)
- Group(s) with preferential treatment
- Education and training eligible
- Source of financing and collection mechanism
- Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
- Eligible costs
- Volumes of funding
- Beneficiaries/take up
- Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
- Most relevant webpage - in English
- Most relevant webpage - local language
- Recent changes
- Sources