DOZENS of local people are set to be given a skills boost after the first round of the Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund (ASIF) was completed.
The £3.5 million Ayrshire Growth Deal project was launched at the end of October to help employers grow and develop their employees and increase skills for Ayrshire residents, linking them to growth sectors and employment opportunities.
And ASIF has successfully awarded grants across Ayrshire in the first round of funding – with 15 employers receiving funding to allow them to upskill around 60 staff across the length and breadth of Ayrshire.
The successful businesses come from the priority industries of Engineering, Digital, Clean Growth and the Visitor Economy and the funding will allow them to put staff through training to give them new skills to help both the individual and the employer.
North Ayrshire Councillor Marie Burns, Chair of the Ayrshire Economic Joint Committee, said: “We are delighted that the fund is now open and great to see that we already have had a number of successful applicants who will now use the funding to upskill staff. It is a fantastic opportunity for the staff to develop new skills and take on new challenges.
“There are skills gaps and the Fund allows us to address these and provide opportunities for disadvantaged groups at the same time.
“The Ayrshire Growth Deal is exciting for the whole region. It is all very well investing in big projects, but we have to have the personnel in place and ready to deliver the work.”
The Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund (ASIF) is available to employers across Ayrshire. It offers them a chance to apply for funding – a maximum of £3000 per person – to help address skill gaps in their workforce.
Employees being given the opportunity must live in Ayrshire, training can be accredited or delivered in house, providing the flexibility for employers to deliver the training or identify a trainer of their choice.
The Fund is an Ayrshire Growth Deal project and has been established to target priority groups – young people, females, people with long term health conditions and people in low paid employment – to help them gain new skills and qualifications in existing and emerging growth sectors such as engineering – including aerospace, digital, visitor economy – food and drink, and clean growth.
Employers can apply online to the ASIF fund to help address skill gaps in their workforce. A maximum of £3,000 per person can be requested, please contact fairwork@north-ayrshire.gov.uk for more information on the eligibility criteria
The next round will close on 26 January, 2024, with many further dates throughout 2024 available.