Qualifying The Workforce Funding Criteria
Eligibility
1. Any Federation, Trade Union or similar organisation may apply for funding providing their application demonstrates that the organisation either represents a directly employed workforce of 5,000 or more or can demonstrate an ability to make a similar impact via influence over a larger non-employed workforce. Applications from employers will not be considered.
2. Since the above criteria are somewhat subjective, a working group (appointed by the Training Committee) will be convened annually to review these applications.
3. All recipients or prospective recipients will need to submit their application to be included in the fund no later than 31 July each year for inclusion in the following year’s funding. The fund will apply to calendar years and therefore all applications must align with a 1 January start date.
Funding values
4. The amount of funding available, agreed by the Training Committee, is £1m for 2012 and the value of the award for each organisation (regardless of size) is set at £50,000 (on the basis that up to 20 applications are funded).
5. The award will to be split into a fixed award of £25,000 for all accepted applications and a performance related award of £25,000. Both amounts will be paid in January although the fixed amount will be paid in advance for the current year and the performance related amount paid in arrears for the previous year’s performance.
6. Any organisation which does not meet their performance criteria will not be eligible for any further funding under the Qualifying the Workforce initiative until their previously agreed performance objectives have been met.
Performance Measures and Data
7. Each organisation will need to meet basic performance criteria. This includes support of competence objectives, progress of a level 2+ vocationally qualified workforce and provision of apprenticeships. Each organisation will need to outline expected progress in the areas above.
8. In addition, organisations will need to state the progress they expect to make in their own sphere relating to a competent and qualified workforce. This progress may include provision of training with assessed outcomes or Professional Membership of Institutions.
9. The working group will approve, conditionally approve or reject these applications on the basis of the application showing reasonable progress towards a qualified workforce.
Transitional Arrangements
10. Successful applicants for 2012 will receive an additional £25,000 by 31 December 2011, upon acceptance of their application in 2011, in preparation for delivering their 2012 objectives.
Applications
11. All eligible organisations will need to submit an application by 1 August each year including the following:
11.1. Demonstration of reach and impact:
- Evidence of 5,000 or more direct employees represented or
- Evidence of impact ability equivalent to 5,000 direct employees
11.2. Demonstration of support for CITB-ConstructionSkills’ aims and objectives for a trained and competent workforce by:
- Offering support to individuals or organisations for training and achievement either by providing an information, advice and guidance service or assistance via provision or funding
- Openly demonstrating their commitment to competency qualifications and being an exemplar in their approach to and support of a competent workforce
11.3. Proposals covering two of three subject areas:
- Increase in the proportion of individuals vocationally qualified to Level 2 or above
- Increase in the number of apprenticeships
- Actions taken in support of preparing individuals for achievement of Level 2 or lifelong learning outcomes following achievement of Level 2
- 12. Proposals will be evaluated by the working group to ensure they are realistic and sufficiently challenging.
13. On acceptance of a proposal, £25,000 will be paid on receipt of an invoice in January of the following year.
Reporting
14. A report will be required from each applicant on or before 1 December each year including:
- A statement of reach and impact
- Actions taken in support of QtW aims and objectives
- Volume of Level 2 or equivalent individuals
- Volume of Apprenticeships
- Measures outlined in the original proposal
- Method of calculation and data collection
15. This report will be reviewed by the working group in December and if it is agreed that the outcomes of the accepted proposal have been met a further £25,000 will be paid by way of a performance award in the following January.
Appeals process
16. Applicants will have the right of appeal if the performance achievement award is not approved by the Working Group. The appeal will first be considered by the Working Group which will have the authority to offer a percentage of the award depending on the applicant’s progress made towards the QtW initiative and the extend to which the agreed performance targets were not met. Further appeals will be heard by the Training Committee.
Other rules
17. CITB-ConstructionSkills will have a right of audit on information relevant to the proposal and the method of collection of that information.
18. In the event that any part of the award is deemed to have been made on incorrect
information supplied, then CITB-ConstructionSkills will have the right to recover from the recipient all or part of the award.
19. An organisation may only make one application per annum.
20. Organisations will need to apply for inclusion in every cycle of QtW funding.