Access Funding

Please note the Access funding programme has now been replaced by the ReAct+ Funding

If you are unemployed and live within the South Wales Valleys, you could be entitled to Access funding to retrain or update your skills and improve your employment opportunities. Your next employer could also get funding towards your wages and further training.

What is Access Funding?

Access provides vocational training grants (funded by the Welsh Government) to help you update your skills and improve your employment opportunities.

You could receive:

• A vocational training grant of up to £1,500 to help you update your skills to return to work;
• Up to £200 of extra support to help remove barriers to vocational training such as childcare or transport costs.

Did you know you are able to split the funding between multiple courses/qualifications (up to a maximum of £1500.00) and it can even help towards the costs of travelling to the courses, overnight accommodation (where appropriate), childcare and extra support.

Who is eligible?

Support under the Access scheme is available for individuals who:

1) Live in the South Wales Valleys area (within the council authorities of Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea or Torfaen)

2) Are aged 18 or over (and you are not eligible for any other programmes such as ReAct, including European Social Fund programmes)

3) Have been unemployed for 24 months or less and are registered with Jobcentre Plus

4) Do not have very much current, relevant and transferable work experience

5) Have a reasonable chance of being ready for employment as a result of engaging with the Programme (within 6 months)

How do I apply?