Training costs don’t have to make a huge impact on your budgets! There is a range of funding mechanisms that you or your employee can access to reduce the costs of training. We can negotiate the costs of training with you dependent on the external funding that may be available and we don’t charge VAT on any of our courses.

Group discounts are also available. Please contact us to discuss how we can work with you to minimise the costs of the courses selected for groups of staff.

Costs for every course are included in the course listings. In most instances a single course fee covers administration, examination (excluding re-sits), certification costs, access to Gower College Swansea’s Learning Resource Centres and certain resource costs for each year of study. They do not include any membership fees to professional bodies and any re-sits must be paid by candidates.

The Skills for Industry

Skills for Industry is an exciting project aimed at private, public and voluntary sector organisations in South West Wales. The project will provide an investment of more than £16m for the training and skills development of the local workforce. All levels (1-7) will run until August 21. Also until August 2021, the Skills for Industry project will be 100% funded by the ESF through the Welsh Government (Eligibility applies.).

The project provides a strategic approach to the delivery of work relevant skills to employed individuals, raising skill levels of those in the workforce and assisting employers and enterprises to adapt to economic change. The operation supporting productivity and progression in employment, increasing the number of people in the workforce in with technical and job specific skills at an intermediate and higher level.

The operation will target its interventions to stimulate demand for skills and workforce development and to provide the skills needed at Level 1-7 to support organisational growth and adaptability to economic and labour market challenges, including High Performance Working across in occupational sectors such as energy, construction, creative industries, science, advanced manufacturing, ICT, auto motive, engineering, financial and professional services, food, care and tourism.

Gower College Swansea is the lead partner, working in collaboration with Neath Port Talbot Group of Colleges, Coleg Sir Gar, Pembrokeshire College and Coleg Ceredigion.

Apprenticeships

The Apprenticeship programme can help businesses across all sectors by offering a route to harness fresh new talent or to upskill existing employees. Any business in Wales, whatever size or sector, can take part in the Apprenticeship programme

Apprenticeships ensure that your workforce has the practical skills and qualifications your organisation needs now and in the future. The mixture of on and off the job learning ensures they learn the skills that work best for your business.

Apprentices earn a wage and work alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills as well as gaining outside training from Gower College Swansea to work towards nationally recognised qualifications. Many now choose the Apprenticeship programme as their first career choice, as opposed to academic study.

They follow an impressive range of training routes i.e. construction, plumbing, care, IT and engineering, so it’s likely that the right option will be available to suit your organisation.

Whilst you as the employer are responsible for paying your apprentices a salary/wage, the Welsh Government pays for most of the apprentice's training – with support from the European Social Fund.

Apprenticeships can take between one and four years to complete and there are three levels available: Foundation Apprenticeship, Apprenticeship and Higher Apprenticeship There are many apprenticeship routes available, each designed to meet the specific needs of the business within a specific industry. Every apprentice follows an industry-approved apprenticeship framework to develop a high level of skill. These frameworks include as a minimum:

• Vocational Competencies Qualifications –  providing practical skills in specific occupational areas from Levels 2 up to 4/5
• Technical Knowledge Qualifications – to underpin the practical skills
• Essential Skills Wales – transferable work-related skills such as Communication and Application of Number

ELCAS

Are you in the Armed Forces? The Ministry of Defence's Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELC) is an initiative to promote lifelong learning amongst members of the Armed Forces.

Updated September 2018