Free NVQ Training & Grants

[Epiphany74]

I'm an employer, and a rep from an organisation offering free NVQ's in Hospitality and Catering subjects called in earlier this week to talk to me. It sounded like a good deal for me and my staff, who were keen to take part. And I'm supposed to get �750 when they complete a qualification. Only now in the cold light of day I'm beginning to wonder if it's ligit, or if there is some catch. Anyone participated in a scheme like this, and what did you think?

[fatotter]

several years ago, i was offered a free NVQ in catering by Spring Personell, the only condition was that i had to be under 21 if i remember correctly. there was no catch. i think it must be a government based scheme perhaps. my mother was actually my employer at the time so i am sure i would know about it if she had been scammed!

[cheries]

Hi, I've worked with Train to Gain for years. The qualifying status is that the employees have to be over 19 and can't have any qualifications higher than a level 3 or equivalent. I'm not sure about the �750 on completion though, never heard of that before. I'm guessing they hand you a part of the government's funding as an incentive to get you to sign up (they receive cash from the EU to train your staff) and manage the learners so they complete the programme (otherwise the full funding isn't released and the trainers don't get paid) I presume you live in an area which qualifies for the support (otherwise you wouldn't have been approached, they tend to pre-qualify you).
The NVQs will probably only be up to level 2/ 3 but if you've got the staff who want to do it....why not? Have you had any experience of NVQs before? Do you know they're quite labour intensive on the learner's part?