More than £1 million is available to Fife businesses to retrain and upskill staff.
Fife College’s Levy Fund is in its fourth year and has already supported 75 employers.
The Scottish Government has announced a further £212,000 will be provided towards the initiative.
Plug skills gaps
It originally provided funding to employers who paid the apprenticeship levy. It meant firms could apply for up to £15,000 worth of training for their employees.
But the expansion of the fund means all small and medium enterprises in Fife can receive up to £5,000 each.
The cash has to be used to help increase productivity and plug any skill gaps among their workforce.
Jan Thomson, director of business development at Fife College, said: “This fund is a great opportunity for all companies across Fife to upskill and retrain their staff.
“Given the current financial situation caused by the coronavirus, it’s more important than ever employers ensure they’re in as strong a position as possible over the coming months.
“Whether it’s to increase productivity among your workforce, or to plug a skills gap, this fund could provide vital help at a time of real need.
“We’d encourage any business in any sector to get in touch with the college.
“We can discuss the delivery of a development programme that is tailored to the needs of your organisation.”
First come, first served
Examples of training accessed over the last three years through the fund include health and safety, project management, IT and digital skills.
The grants are being handed out on a first come, first served basis.
One company that has benefited is timber specialist James Donaldson & Sons, which has more than 1,000 workers across 30 facilities in the UK.
The company used the funding to invest in a six-day qualification in leadership and management through Fife College’s Andrew Carnegie Business School.
Chairman Michael Donaldson said: “Our company has been around for over 150 years and we plan to be here for the long term.
“Our staff are the next generation of leaders of our company and we are delighted to be able to offer them our full support for the training that they are undertaking.
“The Flexible Workforce Development Fund was a great resource in helping us achieve our aims when it came to staff development.
“We’d recommend any business in Fife, no matter what size, to consider using the fund to help them achieve their business objectives.”
