Frequently Asked Questions

Graduate Training and Development

I employ 300 people, are we able to access the fund?

The GO Wales GTD fund is only available to private/ third sector small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) employing fewer than 250 staff. For further details and guidelines on what counts as an SME, visit: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/enterprise_policy/sme_definition/sme_user_guide.pdf . You can access the other services of GO Wales, including the Work Placement scheme.

My company is based in Bristol are we eligible?

Unfortunately, the GO Wales scheme is only available to assist Welsh based businesses.

I operate a charity, can we have funding?

Your organisation would need to comply with the minimum number of staff requirements (fewer than 250 employees). Also, you would need to prove that you do not receive more than 50% of your funding from public sources (including lottery funding). Each organisation is reviewed on an individual basis so contact us to discuss your specific situation.

My employee graduated a while ago can they still get funding?

It doesn’t matter how long ago they graduated! As long as they live in Wales or live outside Wales but work for an SME in Wales and you are a Welsh based private sector SME who are prepared to fund their training then you can apply for funding on their behalf.

I’m a sole trader, can I apply?

As long as you are a graduate living in Wales and your course/training requirements meet the GO Wales GTD criteria, then you can apply for funding.

None of my employees have degrees, why can’t we get funding?

The GO Wales GTD programme is designed to help Welsh based graduates working in SMEs. We also offer help to graduate level employees – check the qualifications of your staff, they may not have a traditional degree, but we also count HNDs and NQF level 4 qualifications. If GO Wales can’t help, then you may wish to contact Flexible Support for Business for further advice on alternative funding www.fs4b.wales.gov.uk.

Is there a list of approved courses and training providers?

No - GO Wales understands that you know your business better than we do and you know what training you need to access to become more competitive. The GTD programme will look at each application on its individual merits. As long as the training you want to undertake fits with our criteria and you can make a convincing business case then you can apply. If you aren’t sure what training you wish to access, you can get skills advice and guidance via www.SkillsPeopleSuccess.com . To help improve the Welsh economy, we would encourage businesses to use Welsh based training companies, however we understand this may not always be possible. Your choice of training provider will not affect the success of your application.

I’m not sure the course I want to send staff on fits into one of your categories – help!

You first need to establish if the course you want to access is higher level (National Qualification Framework (NQF) 4 or above) or lower level (NQF 1-3 or no has no qualification). The training provider should be able to help you with identifying the level of the course or you can contact us for further assistance. If you can confirm that the training is higher level, then you just need to convince us that there is a clear benefit for the company and the participant. If the training has no NQF equivalency or is lower level then it must fit into one of our 6 broad categories. Give us a call to discuss specific courses and their eligibility.

How long does it take to apply and is there a lot of paperwork?

The GTD application is straightforward process that is quick and easy. You will be guided through the process by a dedicated local team of experts who will be available to answer any queries you may have. The process can be very smooth and easy, but the timeframe depends upon how long it takes for you to provide the information needed. Just like any other form of funding application, there is paperwork that needs to be completed in order to claim the money, but we have kept the process as easy as we can.

Where does the money come from?

The GO Wales programme is funded by the European Social Fund and the Welsh Government via the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW). GO Wales is a scheme designed to keep skilled people in Wales and to help business access and benefit from these skills.

How many staff can I get funding for?

The maximum potential funding per eligible graduate is up to £1,500. However, a company can receive £8,500 in GO Wales funding during the lifetime of the current programme (between 2009-11). This funding can be made up of a number GTD applications but can also be used to access the GO Wales Work Placement scheme.