What is Train to Gain?
Introduction; What is Train to Gain?; Train to Gain and volunteers; Who are the brokers and consortia and what do they do?; Who are the training providers?; How do I become a Train to Gain training provider?; What training can be funded by Train to Gain?; Case studies; Further informationIntroduction
In this section, we have tried to make sense of Train to Gain for you, briefly explaining what it is and what the offer is for Third Sector organisations. More importantly, perhaps, we point you in the right direction of where to go to find out more information.
What is Train to Gain?
Train to Gain is a Government programme to support the upskilling of the UK population in order to make the UK more competitive. This is delivered from the perspective of the employer, helping to identify their organisations training needs and seeking ways to address these. This includes fully and partially funded training.
These are perhaps some of the key issues for Third Sector organisations:
- Train to Gain offers fully funded level 2 qualifications and partially funded level 3 qualifications – it does not offer Level 1 or below qualifications
- Essentially, the qualifications available are NVQ in nature
- Due to changes to the national qualification framework in now accepting credit based qualifications, it will be possible to access training on a credit/unit basis, with it not necessarily leading up to a full qualification. This will allow the individual to access more functional/ relevant learning
- Organisations may engage in Train to Gain as beneficiaries (whereby staff and/or volunteers are able to benefit from funded training opportunities) or as providers (whereby organisations are funded to deliver specific training opportunities to other organisations)
- The offer to third sector organisations is somewhat limited at present, in terms of qualifications they can access. Commonly accessed qualifications include Business Administration and Youth Work
- Previous learner qualifications can also be a bit of a stumbling block. Whilst there are exceptions in transferring from one career path to another (e.g. hairdressing to social care) if a person (staff or volunteer) already has a level 2 (5 A-C GCSEs) or higher qualification, they are not eligible for Train to Gain.
Train to Gain and volunteers
There has been some confusion about the eligibility of accessing Train to Gain for volunteers due to seemingly ever changing criteria. Originally, volunteers were not eligible for Train to Gain, then flexibilities enabled volunteers to access Train to Gain as long as they did 16 hours a week. However, this impacted upon those people receiving reduced benefits, if it was that they were on Jobseekers Support Allowance. The attached June 09 (draft) LSC funding guidance document (paragraphs 119-130) identifies that there is no minimum requirement for volunteer hours. There would need to be a formal agreement between the volunteer and the organisation to ensure everything is above board and professional (e.g. the 'volunteer post' has not been 'created' for the purpose of that person accessing Train to Gain funding, and to ensure that the person still fulfills their volunteer responsibilities to the organisation).
Train to Gain training is also meant to be 'within employment hours' so that if someone is volunteering for 2 hours a week, it will take them an exceptionally long while to complete an NVQ. Another way to negotiate this might be for that person to volunteer for increased hours per week to ensure they can fulfill their volunteering and Train to Gain requirements. For example, if they did 8 hours a week they might consider 'volunteering' for 16 hours to ensure they can still have enough time to do both, e.g. 8 hours of each. As long as the organisation itself has met with a broker (or a consortium), then any of that organisation volunteers are then eligible for Train to Gain.
Who are the brokers and consortia and what do they do?
Brokers meet with organisations to go through their development and training needs and then to signpost to training options. These training options are at least part funded, where they can be sourced. Brokers are purely independent and are not allowed to deliver any of the training themselves. Brokers are able to signpost organisations to direct Train to Gain funding and are also knowledgeable about other pots of money, such as EEDA etc., which can be sourced for other training.
Consortia are a collection of Train to Gain providers. They may recruit their own organisations/learners or they may take referrals from the Train to Gain brokers. If the link is made straight from organisation to consortium (not using the brokers to recruit/signpost) a consortium would signpost an organisation to the most appropriate provision from within their consortium of providers. If there is no suitable provision then they will refer the organisation/individual back to the broker to try to source that training for them from another provider/consortium. In Norfolk, there are 3 main consortia undertaking this: Broadland Training Services, Business First (a consortia of Norfolk FE colleges) and Norfolk & Suffolk Social Care Ltd (a health and social care specialist).
Please see here for a directory of Train to Gain provision through these brokers (regionally based), Norfolk consortia and any individual providers who we have sourced.
Who are the training providers?
Training providers each have to have undergone rigorous checks to ensure they are suitable for delivery. The brokers or consortium, having met with organisations, will signpost to an approved Train to Gain provider who deliver training to meet the needs of those organisations. Please see here for a directory of Train to Gain provision through any individual providers who we have sourced.
How do I become a Train to Gain training provider?
All organisations wishing to be an approved training provider for Train to Gain must complete a provider quality questionnaire and providers are always being sought by the LSC. To work directly with the LSC on this, please go to their main Train to Gain website.
Some organisations have found the benefits of delivering their training under a Train to Gain consortium, who will take a management fee for the service of providing that management role. It is entirely up to that consortium as to what quality standards and approval process for partners they use, as they are the accountable body. Broadland Council Training Services (BCTS) are a Norwich-based Train to Gain consortium who have taken on other members of Norfolk Unites as a provider. BCTS take a management fee of 12.5%, which we have found to be very competitive (other consortia maybe asking towards 20% for management fees). If you are interested in exploring your options as a provider through BCTS, please feel free to contact Laura Smith at BCTS. If you as a Norfolk third sector organisation have a course that you may be able to offer on Train to Gain, the chances are that there will be Norfolk third sector organisations wishing to take up that funded opportunity for their staff through Train to Gain. As Associate Members of Norfolk Unites and in having a worker on Train To Gain on a full-time basis, BCTS will be happy to answer any questions you may have have regarding Train to Gain. See bottom of page for details.
What training can be funded by Train to Gain?
Guidlines of what training is funded for whom has changed numerous times. Attached here is a simple but excellent matrix that can be used for identifying who is eligible and how much funding they are entitled to (e.g. if fully funded etc.). This flowchart may also help clarify things for you.
Attached here are the courses that are funded by Train to Gain at level 2 and level 3 - they are divided by subject area (VCS has a category on the level 2 document). These are courses perceived to be especially relevant for any one sector. Attached here is the funding information relating to how much money is allocated from Train to Gain per learner.
Recently, increased flexibilites have been introduced for SMEs and the third sector - this includes being able to access units instead of full NVQs and being able to access Train To Gain regardless of whether previous level 2 or even 3 is possessed. See here for more information on these flexibilities.
The ‘Leadership and management’ offer is much more flexible than the standard Train to Gain offer and allows someone in a senior management role to undertake specialist training that can help them in their role. It may be something like fundraising or even as ‘grassroots’ as PowerPoint presentations – anything that person believes will help them in their role. To take advantage of this, speak to one of your brokers. See Laura Smith of BCTS, Train to Gain directory and this attached leaflet for more information.
Mantis Education are another example provider offering a range of costed courses under the Leadership and Management programme. See here for course booklet (e.g. HR process, communication skills, delegating etc.) and here for general information about Mantis and the offer.
Case studies
Please see this leaflet for details of Train to Gain success stories from voluntary and community sector organisations. See here for some east of England third sector case studies from the leadership and management programme.
Further information
Please see www.traintogain.gov.uk for further information.
See here for latest updates page: http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/ttg/latest/
For a local source of expertise, including if you are interested in accessing Train to Gain as a potential provider or to access Train to Gain funding for your staff, please contact Laura Smith of Broadland Council Training Services (a member of the Norfolk Unites Steering Group) for more information: laura.smith@broadland.gov.uk, 01603 785832.
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