Train to Gain is the national skills service that supports employers of all sizes and in all sectors to improve the skills of their employees as a route to improving their business performance.
Train to Gain is a joint investment - you and the Government working together to boost your business by improving the skills of your individual staff members.
If your organisation is based in England, we’ll assess your business and help you get the skills and training you need to succeed.
If your business is not based in England we have links below to the information for the rest of the British Isles:
Who can benefit from the training?
Train to Gain works to further the skills of all kinds of people, including:
- contracted employees (full and part-time)
- self-employed people
- volunteers
- employment agency workers
Can I get funding through Train to Gain?
The best person to answer this and give you detailed information is your independent Business Link Adviser, or college or training provider. They will also be able to suggest other sources of funding for your training.
I have already accessed funding through Train to Gain, am I able to access additional funding support?
Additional funding flexibilities for Train to Gain were made available from 1st August 2008 so it would be worthwhile contacting the Business Link Adviser, college or training provider who assisted you initially to find out more about the subsequent developments in Train to Gain.
The information below should give you a better idea of the areas where partial and/or full funding is available through Train to Gain.
From January 2009, additional support has also been available to help you tackle the tougher economic environment, including more fully funded training, and funding for shorter, focused training programmes for small and medium sized private sector businesses. Find out more about the extra support for your business. Contact the independent Business Link Adviser, or college or training provider who initially assessed you to help access this additional support.
- First full Level 2 qualification (equivalent to 5 good GCSEs)
For employees who don’t already have a full Level 2 qualification, we provide funding for literacy, numeracy and English language skills, plus their first Level 2 qualification. There is funding available for a number of additional Level 2 qualifications. Just contact your Business Link Adviser, college or training provider to find out more. - Contributions to Level 3 qualifications (equivalent to 2 A-levels)
For employees with a Level 2 qualification, we’ll contribute towards the cost of a Level 3 qualification. For employees who don’t have a Level 2 qualification but have the skills to progress straight to Level 3, we will provide full funding for the Level 3 qualification. For those who already possess a Level 3 qualification or above there is funding available for a number of additional Level 3 qualifications. Just contact your Business Link Adviser, college or training provider to find out more and to ensure your shared investment accesses the higher level training your company needs. For those employees who are aged 19-25 and don't already have one we provide full funding for a Level 3 qualification. Higher level qualification may constitute State Aid. Employers in these cases will be required to contribute to the cost of training. - Apprenticeship programmes
Funding is available for Apprenticeships and advanced Apprenticeships. - Leadership and management skills
For organisations in the private sector with 5 to 250 employees, we offer an in-depth skills analysis for owner/managers, plus grant support of up to £1000 to develop leadership and management skills. This is a shared investment approach, so the organisation contributes towards the overall cost of training. - Contribution to wage costs
For small businesses (less than 50 employees), we may be able to contribute to the cost of your staff spending time away from work undertaking agreed training. This will apply to learners who are successful in achieving their first Level 2 Train to Gain approved qualification and/or approved Basic Skills qualification.
Follow this link for more information on Contribution to Wage Costs
