REACT programme: Redundancy Action Scheme

People who have recently been made redundant or facing redundancy may living in Wales may qualify for Back to Work Through Sales Free of Charge including travelling costs.

Details of Back to Work Through Sales

Who is eligible?

Support under the ReAct scheme is available for individuals who:

have become unemployed in the last six months as a result of redundancy, are currently unemployed, and who have not been in continuous employment for 6 weeks or more since being made redundant; or
are currently under notice of redundancy; and
have not undertaken any publicly funded training since being made redundant, including the work-based learning suite of programs.

What is available?

There are 3 elements to ReAct:

Recruitment & Training Support
Discretionary Award - Vocational Training
Discretionary Award - Miscellaneous

Support is available for eligible applicants to increase their skills and remove barriers to learning, or returning to work. In order to ensure that this training provides the best possible chance of finding new employment, all applicants will need to have their training needs assessed by Careers Wales. Careers Wales will also advise on suitable training courses and training venues. Under this part of the scheme the following financial support is available:

100 per cent of training costs to acquire new skills (up to a maximum of £2,500)
help with the cost of special equipment required for training
reimbursement of travel costs to training courses
overnight accommodation costs, where appropriate
a contribution towards the cost of materials required for training
reimbursement of childcare costs (subject to limits and conditions).

What is the Redundancy Action Scheme (ReAct)?

Want to get new skills?

We can give you a training award of up to £2,500 (this fully covers the Bavck to Work Through Sales Programme) to help you get the skills you need to land a job. You can train while you are job hunting or you can go on courses to get the skills you need even if you plan to become self employed eventually.

Want to find work straight away?

If you prefer to find work first and be retrained 'on-the-job' by your employer, we will contribute up to £2.080 towards your wages.

I would say to anyone made redundant - ReAct is there to help you.

There's £2,080 available for you to take to an interview and put on the table - it's a real incentive for an employer to take you on.

John Wall, Technical engineer, Prime Pac Solutions, Ebbw Vale

We will also pay up to 70% towards the costs of any training that you may need, up to £1000.

It's a big incentive to take you on.

Job hunting?

ReAct isn't just about financial support. The scheme is a partnership between Careers Wales, Jobcentre Plus and the Welsh Assembly Government. It's also about offering you loads of other support as well. Between us we can give you help and information on all aspects of job hunting.

We can also help you to focus on your future with friendly, expert careers advice and information on the training options available to you. Plus, don't forget we are in daily contact with thousands of employers all over Wales and if a vacancy arises that's right for you, we'll set up an interview on your behalf.

How it works

It willl pay for 100% of your training costs, up to a maximum, to help you gain the skills that will open new doors.

What's more, because it's a grant and not a loan, you won't owe a penny.

Extra Support Awards offer extra funding

In some cases, we can offer even more financial support, over and above the Vocational Training Award.

The ReAct Extra Support Award can provide you with extra money to help cover expenses incurred as a result of your training.

For example, if you require books or other training material we'll help you pay for them.

Or if you have to attend a course away from home, we can cover travel costs, hotel fees, and other expenses. If you're a parent we might be able to help with the cost of childcare while you are training.

I was amazed that ReAct would pay for the course, my hotel and my travel. I was a bit daunted about doing the course but it was great.

The facilities were brilliant, the trainers were first class - and it was all paid for by ReAct.

Gil Tancock, GT Wall and Floor Tiling, Self-employed, Swansea.

How to apply for an Extra Support Award

The Extra Support Award has been set up to remove any financial barriers that could be stopping you from getting the training you need.

As with all the ReAct support, it really is very easy to apply for the financial help offered. All you have to do is filli n a simple form so that we can assess your eligibility.

And don't forget that the ReAct team is here to make the whole process as easy as poss

Are you ready to run your own business?

Before you dive into self-employment, you need to make sure that you know everything you need to know about being your own boss.

Did you know that your ReAct funding could be the first step to starting your own business? Although ReAct funding cannot be used to set up the business itself, the Vocational Training award can be used to pay for any course that will help you become better equipped to succeed.

You might want to go on a course to learn a trade or you might want to improve your business skills and start a marketing or accountancy course.

Working for yourself is a rewarding and exciting way to earn a living, but it is also hard work and extremely challenging. That's why training is so important.

Money is always tight in the first few months of a new business, so it makes sense to claim whatever financial assistance you can get.

You can start by talking to your Careers Adviser, who will prepare a Career Action Plan for you.

Are you eligible?

Make sure you find out before time runs out. You must apply within 6 months of being made redundant and before you start your new job.

Don't miss out on the money

If you have been made redundant in the last six months or if redundancy is looming, then yes, you are probably eligible. If you live in Wales, then you can apply before or after you are made redundant. If you live outside Wales, but work for a company in Wales, then you must apply before you actually lose your job.

However, there are a couple of important things that you need to be aware of. If you start working for another employer before registering with us then unfortunately we cannot offer you or your new boss any ReAct funding.

Similarly, if you have received any other funding for any work based training since you have been out of work then you won't qualify.

Remember the six-month time limit

Please remember that you are only eligible for funding for up to six months after you have been made redundant. So time is of the essence and it's important that you ReAct swiftly and positively, as soon as you are made redundant.

Get the facts first. Get the facts fast!

Redundancy can be a big blow, but you need to stay positive and do everything you can to set yourself up for a bright future.

We are here to support you all the way, but it's up to you to grasp the opportunities that are available to you. We can't help you or offer you any ReAct funding if you don't apply.

Only you can make it happen, so act quickly and decisively. Find out all you can about ReAct and set up your careers guidance interview today.

Don't forget that the longer you leave it the harder it gets to find another job.

Financial Incentive for your Employer

The Redundancy Action Scheme ( ReAct) is a programme of funding for training provided by the Welsh Assembly Government for people living in Wales who are facing redundancy. The scheme can also help Employers who are downsizing their business or are recruiting staff. We'll pay towards your wages and give your employer money to train you. It's a big financial carrot to entice someone to take you on.

ReAct Employer Recruitment Support

It's a well-known fact that the longer you are out of work, the harder it is to get back into work. So if you've just been made redundant, it's only natural to want to get another job as soon as possible.

That's where we come in. If you need to get back into work fast, then ReAct's Employer Recruitment Support is just right for you.

A financial incentive

To encourage someone to take you on, we will offer to subsidise your wages in the first year and help to fund any job-related training you may need.

Just think how attractive that would seem to a future employer. So next time you're in an interview, tell them you know how to cut the cost of your wages.

Then tell them that they can also claim funding to retrain you. And then watch them sit up, take notice and ReAct positively by offering you the job.

If it hadn't been for ReAct my boss wouldn't have been able to take me on, because he wouldn't have been able to afford to train me. He would have had to go out and find somebody who was partly trained or had done a college course beforehand.

I am convinced ReAct made it possible for me to land the job I'm now doing.

Richard Stevens, Trainee blacksmith, Cadwallender Forge, Builth Wells

What do you tell the employer if they are interested in ReAct?

That's simple. Just tell them to call REACT

The ReAct team will liaise with the company and get the application process underway. If you land the job then there will be a few forms for you to fill in and sign, but you'll get plenty of help and support from us.

But whatever you do, don't start working for your employer before your ReAct application has been confirmed or neither you nor your employer will be eligible for funding. This need not be a barrier because the ReAct team will process your application as quickly as needed to get that job.

The future

Target the training to help you get on. We'll help you develop your skills for a brighter future.

Once you've got the job, keep working on your skills

When you've achieved your ultimate aim and got back into work it's easy to think your job's done and you are all set up for the future.

Unfortunately life is not like that and nothing ever stands still. So you've got to make sure that you are equipped with the skills to ReAct positively to whatever the future has in store.

After all, if you have the skills, then you are in control of your own destiny.

Never stop learning at work

As you get more experienced at your new job, find out how you can boost your skills even further with more training.

People with skills earn 20% more than people without the relevant qualifications. So learn more and you'll earn more.

Return to Back to Work Through Sales

For further details or to book a place or a course, please complete the PHCT contact us form

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