Adult Skills Fund Tees Valley
Offers fully funded adult retraining in Tees Valley through local colleges and regional training providers.
The Adult Skills Fund Tees Valley is a devolved Department for Education programme for which the Tees Valley Combined Authority holds the local commissioning authority. TVCA contracts local colleges, councils, and independent training providers across the five Tees Valley boroughs — Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees — to deliver funded adult education to residents seeking employment entry, initial qualifications, or career transitions. The programme covers English, maths, digital literacy, and a range of specialist sector qualifications. Course delivery is flexible, available online, in the classroom, or integrated alongside work, to accommodate varied personal circumstances.
Eligibility is open to adult residents who need employment-entry skills, qualifications for a career change, or retraining in a new sector. The fund supports individuals who are unemployed or underemployed rather than businesses directly — it is a training subsidy for individuals and staff development, not a cash grant to employers. Qualification lists for the 2025–26 academic year are valid through 31 July 2026, covering both standard adult qualifications and a separate list of career-change qualifications; new lists are published at the start of each academic year. There is no TVCA online application portal; individuals enrol directly with their chosen local provider.
For employers, the programme provides a mechanism to support workforce development by signposting staff to local funded training through TVCA's provider network. The fund is commissioned annually under the devolved ASF settlement, meaning the qualification offer and participating providers can change between academic years. Employers and individuals should contact providers directly to confirm current course availability and enrolment eligibility, and can contact TVCA at info@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk for guidance on the provider network.
Funded adult qualifications and retraining for Tees Valley residents, covering English, maths, digital literacy, and specialist sector qualifications for employment entry or career change.
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