Updated January 2025
The Adult Skills Fund (ASF) is a valuable resource for individuals and employers alike, bridging skills gaps, improving career opportunities and supporting career progression.
Learn more about the ASF, how it can be used and who can benefit from it.
What is ASF funding?
Set up by the government, the Adult Skills Fund funds a wide range of training and qualifications for adult learners aged 19+.
The ASF is nationally managed by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and provides great learning opportunities to help individuals gain new skills to secure employment or advance in their current careers.
See which qualifications are approved for funding
How can the ASF be used?
The Adult Skills Fund is shared around the country, with over half of the budget managed by regional combined authorities and accessed through local training providers, like Gateway Qualifications’ network of recognised centres.
The ASF can be used to:
- Fund anyone aged 19-23 to get a full level 2 or level 3 qualification (including level 3 free courses for jobs) if they don’t have one already.
- Fully fund eligible learners who are below the earning threshold of £25,000∞ per year or are unemployed.
- For any course or qualification up to level 2.
- For whom English is not their first language to improve their language skills up to level 2.
- On Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs
- Fully fund individuals aged 19 years and above for digital functional skills and essential digital skills qualifications up to level 1, where their existing digital skills are below level 1.
In short, the Adult Skills Fund is a great way to develop your own skills or to upskill your workforce and it is extremely flexible in how this is utilised.
We will also guide you through the process of how best to manage the funding and get the most out of each Academic year.
∞ This is the national ESFA earnings threshold. The earnings threshold varies in devolved regions. Always refer to the relevant adult funding rules based on the learners’ home postcode.
We can help you maximise your Adult Skills Fund
At Gateway Qualifications, we are committed to the value of adult education, and we help training providers get the most out of their ASF funding.
Flexible qualification design
When designing and developing qualifications, we focus on flexibility to suit the needs of the learners and the providers by maximising the number of funding providers can access to benefit the learner, providing them with every chance of success and progression.
Benefits providers and learners
We’ll help you maximise your Adult Skills Fund to better benefit your learners, while also ensuring qualifications are cost-effective for you to deliver. Even if you are uncertain about where to start your funding journey, we can find and tailor a solution that is geared towards getting the best out of your funding allocation for your learners.
An option for all eligible learners
To support your ongoing adult education delivery, there are options available for all eligible adult learners. From shorter, discreet courses to engage more difficult learners, back-to-work courses, to Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPS) – we provide a holistic approach to adult learning.
Find out if you are eligible for ASF funding
To be eligible for ASF funding, you or your employee(s) must:
- Live in England
- Be aged 19 or over
- Have been living in the EU for at least the last 3 years
To find out more about the Adult Skills Fund or see how we can support you in gaining or delivering professional qualifications, please contact us at 01206 911 211 for a friendly, no-obligation discussion or fill out an enquiry form.