Transparency data

Free courses for jobs: engineering expansion

Updated 15 July 2026

Applies to England

Publication date: August 2026 

Free courses for jobs engineering and manufacturing expansion 

We have announced that we are expanding the Free Courses for Jobs (FCFJ) offer to support providers to deliver more engineering and manufacturing training. 

£47 million is being invested in adult skills to support the engineering and manufacturing sectors over 3 financial years. We will do this by expanding the FCFJ offer to support delivery of more engineering and manufacturing training. 

In the first year of investment, we will allocate an additional £16 million nationally for FCFJ for academic year 2026 to 2027. In areas where strategic authorities manage the adult skills fund, the funding will be devolved. 

In non-devolved areas, FCFJ providers with a track record of delivering engineering provision have received an increase to their allocation for academic year 2026 to 2027 to fund more courses. We will expand the national list of qualifications eligible for this funding to include more level 2 engineering and manufacturing courses. 

The approved qualification list can be found on the Approved qualifications for funding page. 

As part of this we are expanding the national list of qualifications eligible for FCFJ funding to include: 

• 49 new reformed engineering qualifications at level 2, available from 1 August 2026

• 23 new reformed manufacturing technologies qualifications at level 2, available from 1 August 2026

Details of the funding rules for these qualifications can be found in the Adult skills fund: funding and performance management rules 2026 to 2027.  

The improvements in the new reformed qualifications are that they are aligned to the relevant occupational standards, which were designed in conjunction with employers. 

Awarding organisations have provided the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education with evidence of employer involvement in the qualification design and that there is employer demand for the reformed qualifications. There is also evidence of provider demand for these reformed qualifications. 

Information on the criteria these new reformed qualifications had to meet to be approved will be available in September 2026 in the Qualifications funding approval manual. 

We have started with the new reformed qualifications at level 2 because they aim to support people into the engineering and manufacturing industry and focus on progression and moving people into a job role. 

We will be reviewing other approved engineering and manufacturing qualifications to decide whether they should be added to this list with a view to ensuring that those we add genuinely support progression and deliver more workers in these areas. 

September 2026 update 

We are expanding the national list of qualifications eligible for FCFJ funding to include: 

• 72 engineering and manufacturing qualifications at level 2, available from 1 August 2026

We included a level 2 qualification in engineering and manufacturing in this offer, if it was:  

• already approved for funding in the funding year 2025 to 2026 through the Department for Education (DFE) funded adult skills fund (level 2 legal entitlement or local flexibility offer) 

• at least 180 guided learning hours in size 

• in the engineering and manufacturing sector subject area 

• primarily designed to allow learners to either: 

  • enter a specific skilled construction job-role directly, as a skilled worker, not a general labourer, or an apprenticeship  

  • work at a higher level within their existing skilled construction job-role for which they are already qualified 

• not be on any of the lists of qualifications with removed funding approval 

• not mainly serve as an introduction to further training or study by being primarily designed to: 

  • introduce learners to knowledge, skills, theory, occupational roles and areas in the engineering and manufacturing sector 

  • support learners to decide if they wish to continue with further training or employment in the engineering and manufacturing sector 

• not be primarily designed to focus on Health and Safety 

Final decisions on adding a qualification to the offer will factor in its overall affordability.