The JIB Skills Development Fund, the charity providing course grants and financial assistance for upskilling in the electrotechnical industry, has increased the number of courses eligible for funding following a record year of course grants. The Fund distributed £30,000 in course grants in the last funding year and has set about helping even more people with a renewed focus on low carbon technologies.
This charity provides financial assistance for skills development and career progression, helping apprentices undertake additional training alongside their studies, those employed by JIB member companies and those who are unemployed and in need of financial assistance to re-enter the workforce.
This year eligibility has been extended to additional occupations for qualified Electricians in areas such as solar photovoltaics, electric vehicle charging and heat pump installation and maintenance.
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:
“The JIB grant is a massive help as it allows you to progress your career to the next step and takes away a lot of the financial burden that comes with it.”
“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.”
Richard Clarke, Chair of the charity trustees board, said: “Last year saw more applications than ever before. Design and Verification was particularly popular as part of career progression to Technician grading. We are delighted that the Skills Development Fund continues to provide valuable financial help to people in the industry in areas where we are expecting to see the greatest demand for new skills and training. Ensuring the workforce is suitably qualified and competent raises the bar on standards, prevents a race to the bottom, and we are happy to continue supporting the industry in these crucial sectors.”
For further information please visit: https://www.jib.org.uk/jib-skills-development-fund
