Posted by: mediaofficer on 4
April 2023
Thousands more people are set to benefit from Skills Bootcamps,
which are free and flexible courses that help people aged 19 or
older gain the necessary skills to secure or progress in a job,
in sectors where there is a shortage of workers.
Skills
Bootcamps will be backed by a further £34 million from
2024 to 2025 and aim to help adults with career profession and
better pay.
The courses last up to 16 weeks and those who take part are
guaranteed to be offered a job interview after they’ve completed
the training.
Around 16,120 people started a Skills Bootcamp between April 2021
and May 2022, surpassing our 16,000 target.
The additional funding announced in the Spring Budget 2023
will ensure that up to 8,000 more people will benefit from this
career-changing scheme, bringing the total number of training
places available next year up to 64,000.
Are Skills Bootcamps free and
how can it help me in my
career?
Yes, Skills Bootcamps are completely
free.
The skills you’ll learn on a Bootcamp
could help you change careers or progress in your existing job by
giving you valuable training that enhances your work experience
and your knowledge of a specific
industry.
What’s more, you’ll be offered a job
interview at the end of the course, giving you an opportunity to
get your foot in the door of a new sector or enable you to take
the next step in the sector you already work
in.
There are hundreds of Skills Bootcamp
courses available across a number of different sectors, including
digital and green industries, construction and
engineering.
For example, there are courses in
cyber security, coding and web-design, project management, or
health and social care.
What’s more, all Skills Bootcamps
deliver industry recognised training and will also start being
inspected by Ofsted from April 2023.
Who can take part in a Skills
Bootcamp?
Skills Bootcamps are open to all
adults aged 19 or older
who are full-time or part-time employed, self-employed or
unemployed, as well as adults returning to work after a
break.
For most Skills Bootcamps, you’d don’t
need to have any previous knowledge of the job or
sector.
Those who are already in a job can
also participate in a Bootcamp course to
develop their
skillset.
If you’re interested, ask your
employer about taking part in a Bootcamp – they’ll be able to
help you decide if it’s something that could benefit you in work
and if they would be happy for you to study alongside your
current job.
How can Skills Bootcamps
benefit employers?
Skills Bootcamps help employers by
training potential new and existing employees with the necessary
skills to fill job vacancies, particularly in sectors that are
struggling to recruit. In turn, this helps the economy
grow.
A recent report also showed that employers felt that Skills
Bootcamps helped to increase the diversity of their organisation
and supported them to recruit underrepresented
groups.
How can I find a Skills
Bootcamp?
You can find the right Skills Bootcamp
course for you on the dedicated webpage.
If you would like help choosing a
course or advice on your job options, get
in touch via webchat
at or by phone on 0800 100 900.
Whether you are looking for a better
job or wanting to advance in your current profession, a Skills
Bootcamp can be a great way to boost your
prospects.
What else are you doing to
improve adult learning?
To further build on our adult learning
offer, we recently announced the Lifelong Learning
Entitlement. From 2025,
people will be able to access loans worth up to £37,000 to
upskill or retrain, no matter where they are in life.
People will be able to use the loan to pay for full or part-time
study, for a variety of courses, from degrees to Higher Technical
Qualifications, including modules.
We’re also investing in
‘returnerships’. This
a new offer which brings together three programmes to help get
older workers back to work.
These include Apprenticeships, Skills
Bootcamps and Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs).
‘Returnerships’ will raise awareness of these pathways, providing
a clear route back into work for adults over the age of
50.
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