NFWDF supports eligible individuals with training worth up to £5,000 at their local college to support career progression and increase earning potential. Individuals must discuss their fund application with their employer, and the decision to apply (or not) can only be made by the individual.

To meet the Fund eligibility requirements, individuals must:

• Live in Scotland full-time, including those with refugee status or asylum seekers
• Have an individual income below £33k
• Be in employment

and be either;

• A parent/carer with responsibility for at least one child at home aged under 18, or
• Under 24 years old, or
• Under 30 years old and care experienced, or
• Under 30 years old with a disability.

Applicants are required to self-declare eligibility at the application stage, and they must advise their employer they will be applying to the fund. All courses and qualifications must be completed by December 2027.

Exclusions: this funding is not available to non-eligible candidates, full-time students, or Apprentices. This funding cannot cover training or qualifications which employers are legally required to provide.

We welcome employer-led applications where employers are seeking to co-ordinate training delivery for multiple candidates. The £5,000 per person limit still applies, and the total level of support available to a single employer is capped at £15,000.

To access this funding through an employer-led application with Ayrshire College, employers must:

• Operate in East, North, or South Ayrshire local authority areas
• Be implementing Fair Work practices, or be committed to working towards the principles of Fair Work
• Complete a Skills Pulse Check
• Develop a training plan with an Ayrshire College Business Engagement Officer.

Our Business Engagement Officers can work with you to identify flexible training that meets the needs of your business and employees, check eligibility, support you throughout the fund application process, and manage course enrolments and administration.

Bespoke courses and training programmes can be designed for those who are looking for unique or nuanced areas of professional development to support employee progression.

Individuals should use the Funding Eligibility Checker to ensure they meet fund requirements, and then browse courses, discuss their goals with their employer, and directly submit applications from course pages.

Employers should complete the Skills Pulse Check, and a Business Engagement Officer will then be in touch to discuss the employer-led application further.