The JIB Skills Development Fund, a charity run by the Joint Industry Board to provide course grants and financial assistance for upskilling in the electrotechnical industry, has enjoyed a record year.
In 2019, the fund announced an extension of its annual cap on funding, with that cap now having been reached, with £30,000 distributed by the charity in this funding year. New applications will reopen when the funding year ends at the end of May, giving even more people support.
According to the Joint Industry Board, thos funding year has seen more people supported than ever before from those undertaking skills development as part of their career progression, those advancing onto other qualifications alongside their apprenticeship and to those who have been most affected by the pandemic and in need of financial assistance to re-enter the workforce.
Some of the recipients from previous years have explained how the Fund has assisted them finding new work where they were unemployed or with their career progression within JIB member companies:
According to one participant, “The JIB grant is a massive help it allows you to progress your career to the next step and takes away a lot of the financial burden that comes with it.”
Another commented, “I would just like to thank the JIB Skills Development fund for their funding. Without this support, I wouldn’t have been able to do my course, better myself and gain better knowledge within the engineering sector.”
Andy Reakes, Head of Growth at the JIB and ECS, concluded, “This year has seen more applications in areas such as design and verification, or solar photovoltaics, as well as the core of funding for HNCs and HNDs. Design and Verification had seen particular interest since it was included on the list of eligible courses. We are delighted that the Skills Development Fund continues to provide valuable financial help to people in the industry.”