Demand for the government’s free courses for jobs scheme (previously known as the National Skills Fund) has doubled in 2022/23 compared to the previous year.

Statistics released by the Department for Education (DfE) show there were over 10,670 enrolments in the first quarter of 2022/23, compared to 5,080 in the same period for 2021/22.

Qualifications on the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) list are fully funded for any adult aged 19 and over who wants to achieve their first full level 3 qualification, or for those who already have a level 3 qualification but are unemployed or earn less than the national living wage.

A range of our qualifications at Level 3 are featured on the ESFA’s list of qualifications included in the free skills for jobs offer:

What is the Level 3 free courses for jobs offer?

Originally launched as The National Skills Fund, the free courses for jobs offer is intended to help adults gain the skills needed to improve their job prospects. In 2021 the Government announced it planned to invest £2.5 billion in the fund over the coming years.  The free courses for jobs offer can be used to support the immediate economic recovery and build the future skills that employers require.

Learners are eligible for funding through free courses for jobs if they

  • are 19 or over and do not already have a level 3 qualification
  • already have a level 3 qualification or higher but earn below the National Living Wage annually (£18,525 from April 2022. In some areas, there may be a slightly different low wage threshold.)
  • already have a level 3 qualification or higher but are unemployed

More information about the free courses for jobs offer is available on the ESFA website.

Which qualifications are included?

The full list of qualifications included in the Level 3 offer adults is available on the ESFA website. The list will be kept under review and Gateway Qualifications can suggest additions to the list, so if there is a need in your area to support adult learners that could benefit from qualifications which are not currently on the list, please contact us to discuss the possibility of adding those.

Gateway Qualifications provision which is eligible includes the following qualifications:

Building and Construction

Digital

Education and Training

Health and Social Care

Horticulture and Forestry

Teaching and Lecturing

Warehousing and Distribution

 

Note: This page was first published in February 2021. Digital qualifications were added in March 2021, and a funding update was added in November 2021.

In February 2023 the page was fully revised and the Level 3 Certificate in Games Technologies was added, correcting a previous omission.

In May 2023, Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care and Level 3 Certificate In Teaching and Learning in Physical Education in Primary Schools was removed from the lists as they are no longer funded. The following qualifications were added to the digital section: Level 3 Certificate in Digital Business Solutions, Level 3 Diploma in Digital Business Solutions, Level 3 Certificate in Social Media for E-Commerce, Level 3 Diploma in Social Media for E-Commerce and Level 3 Diploma in Games Technologies.

In September 2023, Education and Training qualifications were added to the page.