CITB has launched a new fund to support employers investing in higher Trailblazer Apprenticeships.

The Trailblazer Apprenticeship Fund, which opened yesterday, will offer grants to employers training apprentices at levels 4-7, right up to post-graduate qualifications. The fund is a transitory measure, pending the Government announcing full details about its Apprenticeship Levy and CITB completing its ongoing reform of grant funding.

Trailblazers are new apprenticeship standards devised by a group of employers for specific occupations within their industry. They allow employers to be at the forefront of developing new standards, to create a workforce with the skills industry needs, including at higher levels.

Geeta Nathan, Head of Economic Analysis, says: “Trailblazer Apprenticeships are vital to equipping construction workers with the right skills. They set new and relevant standards for the industry and will help minimise the risk of skills gaps in the future.

“We don’t want employers to miss out on the opportunities Trailblazer apprenticeships offer, so this fund will help them keep pace and train to the latest standards, right up to post-graduate level.”

Employers can claim £75 per day for off-the-job attendance on Trailblazer Apprenticeship training at Level 4 or above. The funding is payable to a maximum of 35 days per Grants Scheme year, which equates to £2,625 per year.

Claims can be backdated to September 2015, in line with the academic year.

For more details about eligibility and how to claim, check out: 
www.citb.co.uk/levy-grant/grants-available/trailblazer-funding/