Education and training support reaches £1 million
The last few years have seen a significant increase in the number of dedicated Education and Training Funds open across Scotland, thanks to community benefit funds provided by the renewable energy sector and onshore wind farms. Thanks to this increase, we've been able to award more than 900 grants worth over £1 million so far.
The first fund was established in 2015 by EDF Renewables as part of the Burnhead Moss Wind Farm Fund, known locally as BMET (Burnhead Moss Education & Training Fund). The fund covers parts of West Lothian and Falkirk and accounts for 40% of all funding awarded to date. Since then, we've continued to work with EDF and other developers in the renewables sector to launch a further 20 local funds across ten different local authorities.
These funds have been specifically set up to support individuals with costs that are a barrier to accessing college or university or to cover expenses for training programmes and skills improvement that help individuals enhance their employment opportunities. The EDF Corriemoillie Wind Farm Education & Training Fund also offers financial support to local businesses needing help with staff training.
This table shows how many awards have been made since 2015 by region, over 900 in total and exceeding £1 million.
| Area | Grants awarded | Number of awards |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeenshire | £4,160 | 5 |
| Argyll & Bute | £995 | 2 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | £78,622 | 84 |
| Falkirk | £225,532 | 235 |
| Fife | £18,898 | 39 |
| Highland | £502,069 | 376 |
| North Lanarkshire | £14,700 | 5 |
| Scottish Borders | £2,500 | 2 |
| South Ayrshire | £11,575 | 11 |
| West Lothian | £206,575 | 147 |
| £1,065,626 | 914 |
Despite most university places being free in Scotland, the cost of attending can be prohibitive for many young people. Erin Morrison from Eastfield in North Lanarkshire (pictured above) was one of nine individuals receiving funds this summer to help with rising costs relating to studies. Erin is now studying for a BEng in Civil Engineering and is the first person from her family to go to university. She successfully applied to the Harthill, Eastfield and Greenrigg Education & Training Fund for a total grant of £3,300, which will be split into three payments during her university course, helping to subsidise many of the costs relating to studying. Erin says:
“The fund has been a big help to me, it definitely takes the pressure off. You really don't understand how expensive textbooks are for university, there's quite a lot that you need. Many people don't take that into consideration, so its really helped me out.”
To read about other individuals and businesses in receipt of education and training grants, follow the links below: