SFA approval for £2m co-funded skills programme for process industries

Cogent and its partner the National Skills Academy Process Industries are delighted to have received agreement from the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) to deliver the Government’s Joint Investment Programme (JIP) for skills.
The Cogent/Process Academy bid has secured over £2m of support for skills development, which will be matched by chemical, pharmaceutical and polymer employers to co-fund training.

The 2 year programme is being delivered through National Skills Academy accredited providers, who are closely involved in developing the roll out plan.

Cogent CEO Joanna Woolf said, “this approval is excellent news for employers and Skills Academy providers. It recogonises our role, on behalf of employers, in directing funding to priority skills areas and ensuring that the corresponding training is of a high quality and reflects the skills needs of the Sector.”
The JIP programme brings together public and private investment into 50-50 match-funded training plans to support skills in areas key to economic recovery and future growth.

The offer is directed at the specific skills needs of the Cogent Sector and a range of technical qualifications which embed skills for competitiveness within companies. JIP allows employers to influence training provision and funding is available for both units of qualifications, full qualifications and apprenticeships.
Alongside the delivery of full qualifications in Year 1, the demand for unit-based training will be tested with employers and pilot programmes to deliver new smaller qualifications for example in Resource Efficiency, Leadership & Management and the Certificate in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Based Process Operations (CPBPO), will be prepared for delivery in Year 2.

Adds Joanna Woolf, “we know that employers don’t expect unlimited Government subsidies in the current climate, but this matched-funding approach will support our ongoing drive to boost skills development across a Sector which is blazing a trail in advanced manufacturing and creating the jobs of the future.”
Employers can obtain access to the fund through Cogent’s partner the National Skills Academy Process Industries which can help them to understand their business’s skills needs and direct them to the right solutions through a network of high-quality training providers.

The fund is available on a first come first served basis. Employers who want to find out more should contact jayne.edwards@cogent-ssc.com