Develop your workforce

NESCol can support employers, helping their staff access free courses to develop their skills and support their careers.

Are you an employer looking to invest in your workforce and support employee progression?

Are you an employee looking to develop new skills, boost your career, and increase your income?

NESCol can help.

We can provide access to fully-funded courses for eligible employees earning less than £33,000 per year.

This programme, funded by the Scottish Government, is designed to help parents, carers and young people in employment gain valuable new skills and qualifications, while helping employers build a stronger, more capable workforce.

tutor leaning over person wearing green blazer in classroom

Apply now

To apply, or simply find out more, email workforce@nescol.ac.uk or complete the contact form.

Our dedicated team will be in touch to discuss your needs, identify relevant courses, and guide you through the application process.

Please note that applications cannot be made through the College’s online application system.

Browse our courses

Find a course that fits your needs. Funding can be used for all NESCol part-time and online courses.

These are:

students in a professional development class

Who can apply?

This funding is open to Scotland-based employers in the private, public, or third sector.

Eligible employees must earn less than £33,000 per year and meet at least one of the following criteria:

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

Applications can be made either by an employer or an individual worker.

If you’re applying for yourself, you must confirm that your employer is aware of your intention to access training through the fund.

Funding is available for up to £5,000 per person.

An employer may only make one application, up to a maximum of £15,000.

Benefits for your business

Our courses can be delivered flexibly to fit around work and life commitments, making it easier for employees to learn and work side by side.

Through this fully-funded training, your organisation can:

Close skill gaps
Support staff development
Improve staff retention
Build a more confident and productive workforce
Adopt Fair Work practices.

Other funding options

There are two other funding options available: RISE, and TAF. Both are designed to support parents and carers who are returning to work, developing their skills, or looking to improve their earning potential and career opportunities.

About the funding

The New Flexible Workforce Development Fund (New FWDF) is Scottish Government funding distributed to colleges. The aim of the programme is upskill in-work parents to boost their household incomes, reducing child poverty across Scotland.

NEW FWDF runs until December 2027. Funding is limited, so we encourage employees and employers to get in touch as soon as possible.