Free courses for parents
Free part-time courses for parents and carers (with a child under 18 living at home) with an income below £33,000.
If you’re a parent or carer with a child under 18 living at home, and earn below £33,000, you may be eligible for funding to study or train part-time at NESCol.
Whether your goal is to get back into work, find a new job or progress in your current role, flexible learning is a great way to improve your career opportunities.
Through new funding from the Scottish Government, you can choose from more than 400 part-time and online courses at NESCol. These courses can help you gain qualifications, develop your skills and boost your confidence.
We may also help with your travel and childcare costs while you study.
Apply now
Apply now
If you would like to apply for this funding, please contact our team directly by email at RISE@nescol.ac.uk. Applications cannot be made through the online application system.
To apply for funding:
Browse our courses
Browse our courses and find a course that interests you. Funding can be used for all NESCol part-time and online courses. These are:
Contact our team
Get in touch with the team via email: RISE@nescol.ac.uk.
Alternatively, you can fill out the contact form.
We’ll be in touch
A member of our team will contact you to discuss.
Priority groups
Priority is given to the following groups, although all parents and carers are encouraged to apply:
- Lone parent families
- Families with a disabled adult or child
- Larger families (three or more children)
- Minority ethnic families
- Families with a child under one year old
- Families with mothers under the age of 25.
Funding options
There are three new funding options available. These are designed to support parents and carers who are returning to work, developing their skills, or looking to improve their earning potential and career opportunities.
Employers can also use the new Flexible Workforce Development Fund (new FWDF) to provide training for eligible employees, including parents and carers, people aged under 24, and care-experienced or disabled people under 30.
The Raising Income through Skills and Education (RISE) Fund is designed to help parents and carers build new skills with training that fits around family life.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the RISE Fund you must:
- Be living in Scotland full time (including those with refugee status or asylum seekers)
- Be a parent or carer
- Have a child at home who is under 18 years old
- Earn an individual income of below £33,000.
Funding is available for up to £3,750 per person.
The Training Access Fund (TAF) helps in-work parents and carers access free skills courses to help them progress in their careers.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the TAF, you must:
- Be living in Scotland full time (including those with refugee status or asylum seekers)
- Be a parent or carer
- Have a child at home who is under 18 years old
- Earn an individual income of below £33,000.
Funding is available for up to £500 per person.
The New Flexible Workforce Development Fund (New FWDF) aims to upskill parents, carers and young people in employment.
It also encourages businesses to offer training opportunities that meet employer needs, while helping their team gain new skills and progress in their careers.
Please note: This Fund is not the same as the FWDF initiative launched in 2017.
Eligibility
Funded training opportunities are only open to workers with an annual income below £33,000, who are either:
- Parents or carers of a child aged under 18 living at home;
- Aged under 24, or
- Care-experienced or disabled and aged under 30.
The Fund is available to all employers operating in Scotland who implement (or are working towards implementing) Fair Work Practices.
Who can apply
Applications can be made either by an employer or an individual worker.
If you’re applying for yourself, you must confirm that your employer is aware of your intention to access training through the fund.
Funding is available for up to £5,000 per person.
An employer may only make one application, up to a maximum of £15,000.
Get in touch
If you are unsure what course is right for you or what funding you are eligible for, our team are happy to help. Get in touch with the team via email: RISE@nescol.ac.uk.
You can also fill out the contact form below.
