For anyone considering a career or already working in construction, one of the biggest things to consider when it comes to training is the costs involved.
To help make the industry more accessible to a wider variety of people, and to ensure the current workforce is equipped to deliver the highest levels of quality, there are a number of funding options and grants available that can help ease the financial burden of construction training.
City & Guilds bursaries
Set up as a way of improving access to construction training and solving skills shortages within the industry, C&G has been running its bursary programme for more than 20 years, and Able Skills has welcomed a number of successful students who were part of this scheme.
C&G targets its funding towards industries where demand for talent is high, with grants intended to cover the total cost of an individual’s studies.
Bursaries are awarded up to the figure of £6,000 and can be used towards the cost of a training programme and any tools or learning materials required. In certain cases, the costs of travel and childcare can also be covered, again tackling common hurdles facing those who may be considering a career in construction.
CITB grants
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) provides grants for construction industry employers who provide training for their workforce. This scheme intends to maintain the industry’s high standards, by ensuring teams are able to access the most up-to-date training resources.
All employers registered with CITB are eligible to apply for these grants, which are available across the following categories: apprenticeships, long qualifications, short qualifications, advanced craft (Scotland only), short courses and plant test achievements. You can see which training courses are eligible for the grant here.
Government heat training grant
Over the next two years, the government will make available more than £14 million to accelerate the installation of heat pumps and heat networks across the UK, as the gas industry switches to more sustainable solutions.
Included in this figure is a new £5 million Heat Training Grant that will support 10,000 trainees over the next two years to become ‘low carbon heating experts.’ The grant is aimed at experienced gas engineers and could cover most of the cost of completing a Level 3 Heat Pump course.