West Lothian College Commits to Upskilling Parents, Carers and Young People Through New Funding

West Lothian College is helping local employers invest in their staff, with up to £15,000 of fully funded training available per business through the Scottish Government’s new Flexible Workforce Development Fund.

Announced last month, the fund replaces the scheme of the same name first introduced in 2017. Eligible employees can now each receive up to £5,000 of free training.

To qualify, employees must be:

• a parent or carer of a child under 18 living at home
• aged under 24, or
• care experienced or disabled and aged under 30.

The fund is particularly aimed at lone-parent families, families with a disabled adult or child, younger mothers, families with a new baby, larger families and minority ethnic families. However, all working parents and carers are encouraged to apply.

Training is flexible, ranging from short online courses to full-time, in-person study. Subjects include leadership and management, wellbeing, first aid, environmental sustainability, automotive and electrical, beauty, IT, soft skills and much more. The college can also design bespoke courses around the specific needs of individual businesses.

Employers interested in finding out more or checking their eligibility can contact the Business Development Team at business@west-lothian.ac.uk