Friday, November 21, 2008

The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has now taken responsibility for the children’s portion of the Increasing Skills in Social Care (TSI) project. The project which was formally known as the Training Strategy Implementation fund and was previously distributed by Skills for Care has had a successful start with £1.9 million already distributed direct to employers in the social care sector.

The new system provides funding directly to private and voluntary independent sector employers via an online registration process. Cash is provided by way of a registration fee and then a further single payment upon achievement of a full NVQ Level 3.

More than 50 organisations have already signed up to the pilot system, and more are due to register soon, with the first payments on 27 October being of more than £260,000.

Projects Co-ordinator for National Programmes at CWDC, said:

"We are very happy with how the pilot system has been received. It was launched on 20 October and 22 organisations signed up and 165 employees, undertaking NVQ3 in Health and Social Care, were registered for funding on the system in the first week alone.

This is a really good opportunity for the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) employers to gain direct access to funds to support employees undertaking NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care.

Although we've had a good start and an excellent take up to the pilot so far, we still want more people to sign up."