ReAct+ and free training after redundancy: your questions answered.

Yes. The Welsh Government's ReAct+ (ReAct Plus) scheme can pay up to £1,500 towards training if you live in Wales, are aged 20 or over, and have been made redundant in the last six months or are under formal notice of redundancy. All of our 5-day masterclasses are covered, so there's nothing for you to pay. Use the 60-second eligibility checker to see if you qualify.

ReAct+ is the Welsh Government programme that helps people affected by redundancy get back into work. It can fund vocational training of up to £1,500, help with travel and childcare costs while you train, and offer employers up to £4,000 in wage support when they hire someone eligible. You apply through Careers Wales, and we help with the paperwork.

Yes, and it's often the best time to start. You don't have to wait until your last day: if you're under formal notice you can apply straight away, and many learners finish a course before they leave. If you've worked for your employer for two years or more, you're usually entitled to reasonable time off during your notice period to look for work or arrange training.

Most people start a course within 2–3 weeks of first contacting us. The sooner you get in touch, the sooner we can build your training plan and get it approved. Call 01656 737349 or send us a message.

No. ReAct+ is available across the whole of Wales. In-person courses run at the Llynfi Enterprise Centre in Maesteg, and live online courses over Microsoft Teams are open to learners in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Neath Port Talbot, the Valleys, Wrexham and everywhere else in Wales.

Yes. Most of our courses are beginner-friendly, and many of our learners come from manufacturing, retail, admin and public sector roles. Good starting points are AI for Business, Microsoft Office & Copilot, Power BI and Power Platform.

Genuinely free for eligible learners. The Welsh Government's ReAct+ scheme pays your training fees directly to us — up to £1,500 per person — provided you've been made redundant (or are under notice), live in Wales, and are 20 or over. No clawback if you don't get a job. No hidden costs. You can also claim travel and childcare costs separately.

You need to be: aged 20 or over, a resident in Wales, and either under formal notice of redundancy or made redundant within the last six months. Some 18–24 year olds not currently in education, employment or training may also qualify. Use our 60-second eligibility checker on the home page or call us to confirm.

Step 1: Check your eligibility on our website. Step 2: Call Working Wales (run by Careers Wales) on 0800 028 4844 to book a free appointment with an adviser. Step 3: Send your application pack to us. Step 4: We build your training plan (up to £1,500) and submit it for approval. Most people start a course within 2–3 weeks of first contact.

Yes. Your ReAct+ grant covers up to £1,500 of training in total. We'll help you build the right combination based on your career goals.

There are other Welsh Government schemes that may help, including the Personal Learning Account (PLA) for employed adults looking to upskill. Call us on 01656 737349 and we'll help you find the right funding pathway.

Most courses are beginner-friendly. If you can use email and a web browser, you're ready for courses like AI for Business, Microsoft Office & Copilot, NHS Digital Skills, and Power Platform. Our advanced courses (Generative AI for Developers, Full Stack React) require some prior coding knowledge — check each course page for specifics.

Each day builds on the last, so try to attend all five. If you miss one day, we'll arrange a recap session, share recordings, and a tutor will help you catch up on the lab. If you miss two or more days, we'll usually move you to the next cohort at no charge.

Yes. In-person cohorts run at the Llynfi Enterprise Centre in Maesteg. Online cohorts run live over Microsoft Teams — same tutor, same materials, same lab time. Some cohorts are hybrid so you can mix and match depending on the day.

In-person: nothing — we supply laptops and all software licences for the week. Online: a laptop or desktop running Windows 10/11 or macOS, a webcam, and reliable internet. We provide Microsoft 365 + Copilot licences at no charge for the duration.

We cap cohorts at 12 learners to keep the tutor-to-learner ratio at 1:6 or better. This means you get individual attention during labs and nobody gets left behind.

We focus on portfolio over paperwork. By Friday you'll have real deliverables — workflows, dashboards, apps, reports — which carry more weight in interviews than certificates. If you specifically need a formal exam certification (like AZ-900 or PL-300), we can point you to the relevant exam separately.

You join our alumni network with a private Slack community, monthly "AI in practice" meetups, and access to a dedicated employability adviser for six months. They'll help you with your CV, interview preparation, and warm introductions to Welsh employers actively hiring people with your skills.

Yes. Our Employer Partnerships team actively connects graduates to Welsh employers. We maintain a live talent board that employers browse, and we proactively match candidates to roles. Plus, any employer who hires a ReAct+ graduate can claim up to £4,000 in wage support — which makes you a very attractive hire.

70% of our graduates land a new role within 90 days of completing a masterclass. The average salary uplift compared to their previous role is around £4,000. These are the numbers we obsess over — they're the whole point.

Llynfi Enterprise Centre, Heol Ty Gwyn Industrial Park, Maesteg, Bridgend, CF34 0BQ. Free parking on site. We also run a free shuttle from Maesteg train station. The centre has step-free access, fast wifi, and we provide refreshments.

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, with a one-hour lunch break and two shorter breaks. Total contact time is approximately 40 hours across the five days.

Yes. ReAct+ provides separate grants for travel costs and childcare on top of your training grant. We'll help you complete the paperwork as part of the enrolment process.

Yes, free parking directly outside the Llynfi Enterprise Centre. If you're coming by train, let us know and we'll arrange a pickup from Maesteg station.

When you hire a ReAct+ graduate, you can claim up to £4,000 from the Welsh Government towards their wages in year one. The grant is paid in instalments. We handle the paperwork. There are no agency fees on our side — our funding comes from the learner-side grant.

Register your interest on our Hire Graduates page or call 01656 737349 and ask for Tom. Tell us the role, skills needed, and when you'd like someone to start. We'll send shortlisted candidates within 48 hours, complete with CVs and portfolios.