The Flexible Workforce Development Fund

Student holding a clipboard with another student in the background standing at a desk

What is the Flexible Workforce Development Fund? (FWDF)

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) was launched by the Scottish Government in September 2017 and is funded through contributions to the UK Apprenticeship Levy. Now in its sixth year, in 2022/23 the fund will provide over £10m of training to employers in Scotland, the majority of which will be delivered through colleges.

The aim of the fund is to provide eligible employers with workforce development training to up-skill and re-skill their existing workforce. This training will enable employers to address skills gaps within their workforce and allow them to become more productive and efficient, as well as helping with ongoing post-COVID recovery and other challenges businesses are experiencing including rising costs and supply chain disruptions. 

The sixth year of the fund was launched in January 2023, with applications open until 31 July 2023.

Key Facts - 2022/23

  • Maintained maximum funding per levy-paying employer of up to £15,000.
  • Non-levy paying SMEs can now apply for up to £5,000 of funding under the FWDF in 2022/23 to help address skills gaps in their workforce.
  • Application closing date 31 July 2023. To make it as easy as possible for employers to engage successfully with the FWDF, the college will allocate a Business Development Officer to every applicant to guide them through each step of the process.
  • Training programmes must commence by 31 August 2023 and be complete by 31 December 2023.

Information Sessions - New Dates Coming Soon

Want to find out how City of Glasgow College can help you access funding to upskill your workforce? Come along to one of our information sessions where you can chat with college staff involved with the delivery of the FWDF, pick up some additional information on funding and get answers to any questions.  As new sessions are scheduled, dates will be posted here.

What do our clients think? 

Our clients said they have found the approach from the City of Glasgow College professional and flexible.  The help of an allocated Business Development Officer made the application process simple and fast, and the high quality of training received (contextualised to the needs of the business) meant the staff attending were able to easily apply their new skills to their work.

Tennent Caledonian Breweries, one of the major companies the college has been working with, said:

“City of Glasgow College has been a fundamental training partner over the last four years when we first accessed FWDF.

“Something that at first seemed complicated was made simple for us, and the college’s capacity to adapt to our ways of working and training needs has been outstanding.”

For Radisson Hotels UK Ltd the college’s ability to adapt was key, as Sarah Penkett, Learning & Development Manager, explained:

“For the first time this year Radisson Hotel Group used the Flexible Workforce Development Fund and it has been an absolute pleasure to partner with City of Glasgow College for our 2019/2020 course offering.

“Feedback from our employees has been amazingly positive with many saying it has improved their confidence. I can’t commend City of Glasgow College enough."

Nicole Smith, Senior Talent Executive at Skyscanner (Glasgow) said

“Output from the programme has been fantastic, with improved relationships both internally and externally”

Jeanette Willsden, Training and Quality Manager at Constance Care, said

“We are proud to be working in partnership with City of Glasgow College. The guidance and support we have received from the college and their lecturers has better enabled us to improve staff development, upskilling and inspiring motivation.”

Apply Today: Levy Paying Employers

A copy of the Application Form, Guidance and our FWDF training brochure can be downloaded below for employers who pay into the UK Apprenticeship Levy.

Apply Today: Non-Levy Paying SMEs

For employers who are small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 250 employees that do not pay into the Apprenticeship Levy, a copy of the Application Form, Guidance and our FWDF training brochures can be downloaded below.

Contact us

Please note that funding is limited and will be issued on a first come first served basis so we would advise applying as soon as possible.  To support you in ascertaining your training needs we would be delighted to arrange an appointment with you to have an initial chat about the FWDF. From there we can allocate you a Business Development Officer to work with you on building up a full training plan and help you to complete the application form. To contact us to arrange this, email us at: