Personal Learning Account (PLA) Digital

What is the Personal Learning Account (PLA)?

The Personal Learning Account (PLA) Programme provides support across Wales for eligible people to gain higher level skills which will enable these individuals to access a wider range of job opportunities and/or gain employment at a higher level.

The primary aim of the Personal Learning Account programme is to enable people to upskill and reskill in priority sectors; to improve their career and earnings potential.

Am I eligible for the Personal Learning Account?

Eligibility is tested at the point of application. The following individuals are eligible for the programme.

Individuals must:

Live in Wales
Want to gain skills/qualifications in priority sectors
19 years old or over (tested at point of course commencement)

In addition, individuals must meet at least one of the following criteria:

Employed (including self-employed)*
Workers on zero hour contracts*
Agency staff*
At risk of being made redundant
Offenders on day release*
Full-time carers (paid and non-paid)*

Individuals are ineligible at the point of application if they are any of the following:

Under the age of 19
Attending school or college full-time as a pupil or student
In full-time higher education
In Welsh Government funded Work Based Learning
An ineligible overseas national
In receipt of an Assembly Learning Grant or Education Maintenance Allowance
Unemployed i.e. does not have a contract of employment (unless meeting one of the approved criteria)

As part of your funding application, you will be asked to provide supporting ID documents to evidence your eligibility. This will include:
If employed: 3x payslips covering the last 3 months
If self-employed: Evidence of UTR number AND proof of income covering last 3 months (e.g. bank statements/invoices)
If at risk of redundancy: Letter from your employer advising that your role is at risk of redundancy
If agency staff: 3x payslips covering the last 3 months (if possible – if you’re unable to provide this, please discuss with the team when we contact you following your training plan submission)
If a carer: Evidence of carers allowance payment from last 3 months OR letter from careers advisor confirming you’re a carer

Please note, you only have 90 days from submitting your Training Plan to complete your funding application, for your funding to be approved and to be enrolled onto your chosen course. If your application runs over this timeframe, you may be unable to proceed with your current application and will need to start a new funding application.

Courses available through PLA Digital

Find our courses available through the Personal Learning Account Digital funding below. To begin your Personal Learning Account Digital funding application, please complete your Training Plan here. If you are interested in multiple courses, please speak with a member of the team to complete your training needs analysis.

Cisco: Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (Instructor & self led available)
^{In partnership with NILC}CompTIA ITF+ (Instructor & self led available)
^{In partnership with NILC}
CompTIA A+ Core 1 & 2 (Instructor & self led available)
^{In partnership with NILC}
CompTIA Network+ (Instructor & self led available)
^{In partnership with NILC}
CompTIA Security+ (Instructor & self led available)
^{In partnership with NILC}
CompTIA Server+ (Instructor & self led available)
^{In partnership with NILC}
CompTIA CySA+ Cyber Security Analyst (Instructor & self led available)
^{In partnership with NILC}
FinTech Wales Data Academy
^{In partnership with Iungo Solutions}

To begin your Personal Learning Account Digital funding Training Plan, click here!

Click here to find more information on our PLA Digital courses

Our PLA Digital course profiles, with further details on each course, can be found below:

Cisco: Implementing and administering Cisco solutions

Download (pdf)

CompTIA ITF+

Download (pdf)

CompTIA A+ Core 1 & Core 2

CompTIA Network+

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA Server+

CompTIA CySA+

Fintech Wales Data Academy

Download (pdf)

How Do I Apply?

Choose your course

With our extensive list of courses available under the Personal Learning Account, we’re confident you will find your perfect course.

Please note, you can only access PLA funding for one course at a time. If you are already in the application process, waiting for your funded course to begin or are already on a funded course, please wait to complete this course before applying for PLA funding for another course.

Training Plan

Begin your Personal Learning Account application by completing and submitting an online Training Plan here.

Please only submit one Training Plan at a time. If you wish to apply for PLA funding for multiple courses, you must only submit one Training Plan for your initial course. Once you have secured your funding and completed the course, you can submit a second Training Plan for your next course.

Check your emails

Once we have reviewed your Training Plan, a member of the team will contact you via email to request additional documents to complete your funding application.

Please ensure you complete and return these documents as soon as possible to avoid disappointment

Start your course

Once you have returned your additional documents and your funding is approved, we will work with you to book you on to the best suited start date for you.

Please note, if your selected course is through a training partner, they will complete this step with you. Any self-led courses can be started immediately.

Unable to find your preferred course? Check our Personal Learning Account Core and Personal Learning Account Green courses. If your preferred course isn’t available through the Personal Learning Account, or you don’t meet the funding eligibility, please speak with a member of the team for our commercial course fees or view our Commercial Courses page.