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Travel to Train - Apprenticeship travel and accommodation grant

Our support for employers with apprentices who are required to 'Travel to Train' has been widened from 01 August 2022:

  • We reimburse 80% of accommodation costs for apprentices who attend colleges or training providers where overnight stays and travel to/from a hotel are required.
  • You can also apply for apprentice travel expenses where the cost exceeds £20 per week.

Travel to Train grant is available to all CITB-registered employers with apprentices in training on or after 1 April 2021 in England, Scotland and Wales.

On this page:

Who can apply for this grant?

You can apply if you’re registered with us and meet the requirements of this grant, please read the Grants Scheme Terms and Conditions.

This includes employers with an apprentice eligible for apprenticeship attendance grant or Specialist Applied-skills Programme (SAP) grant.

Travel: You can apply for a travel grant for apprentices studying grant-eligible apprenticeships, who are employed by CITB registered employers or a CITB funded Shared Apprenticeship Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales.

Accommodation: You can apply for an accommodation grant for apprentices studying construction trades, who are employed by CITB registered employers or a CITB funded Shared Apprenticeship Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales.

Travel grant

Overview

  • Travel grant is paid for travel to and from the college or training provider. Travel to and from an apprentice’s place of work is excluded.
  • Apprentices in accommodation are eligible for return travel costs to the accommodation from home for each period of training.
  • Where college campus accommodation includes weekend stays, travel grant will only be approved for the start and end journey of the entire block period including weekends.
  • Daily travel from CITB-supported accommodation is only reimbursed where CITB or college/training provider arranged travel is not available.

How much can I get?

We pay grant when the travel costs are more than £20 per week, we will deduct the first £20 per week and reimburse the excess to the employer.

Private transport is only authorised when public transport, or transport provided by CITB, is not available or private transport is cheaper.

Current mileage rates for private transport are below:

  • 26p per mile for cars or motorcycles

The full cost of the travel grant must be reimbursed to the apprentice by the employer.

This grant does not cover car parking costs.

We will not pay for travel dated more than 3 months before the application submission date.

How to apply for the travel grant

Travel grant applications can be submitted either when the value to reimburse is £100 (minus the £20 per week deduction), OR every 2 months per eligible apprentice – whichever comes sooner.

You should submit an application form with a copy of the relevant evidence, including travel tickets (where applicable) and evidence of attendance covering the period of the application. Screenshots of bookings made via an app, electronic booking confirmations and college timetables are all acceptable evidence.

  1. Download the application form below
  2. Save and complete the form
  3. Send your completed application form to ApprenticeAccom.TravelSupport@citb.co.uk
  4. Payment will be made into the nominated employer account

Travel grant for learners completing a grant eligible apprenticeship (Excel, 248KB)

Travel grant application form for learners on a Specialist Applied-skills Programme (Excel, 240KB)

 

Accommodation grant

Overview

  • Accommodation grant is available where travel to and from the college/training provider is more than 90 minutes from the apprentice’s home address, either by car or public transport.
  • Accommodation grant is only paid when the accommodation has been booked through arrangeMY using the form below, or on-campus residential accommodation at specific colleges/training providers who have an approved agreement with CITB.
  • This grant is not available for privately arranged accommodation.
  • We will only pay for accommodation where the apprentice abides by our Code of Conduct (PDF, 142KB). Where this is not met, we do not reimburse any accommodation costs and will refuse any future applications for that apprentice.

How much can I get?

Hotel accommodation is reimbursed at a rate of 80% of the total cost. We will deduct 20% of the accommodation cost and reimburse the difference to the employer, the employer must pay the 20% cost and not pass this on to the apprentice.

For colleges with an on-site campus, full costs for accommodation will be met.

Weekend accommodation is not funded.

Where multiple apprentices from the same employer require accommodation, this is provided on a room sharing basis and within the scope of safeguarding e.g. under 18’s, over 18’s. Male and female sharing is not permitted. Due to COVID-19, rooms are currently offered on a sole occupancy basis.

How to apply for the accommodation grant

Before completing the Accommodation Application Form:

You can apply by completing the relevant application form using the link below:

Login or register for Travel to Train