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Posted on:
4th May, 2023

LEP to deliver Skills Bootcamps to retrain adults and upskill in growth sectors

Berkshire LEP announces its successful government bid to deliver Skills Bootcamps to support adults to retrain and upskill in growth sectors and support the economic recovery in Berkshire.

LEP to deliver Skills Bootcamps to retrain adults and upskill in growth sectors

Berkshire LEP’s Skills Report 2022 identified that a key challenge for these sectors will be to ensure they have the right skills to grow their businesses. The LEP is working initially with employers across four key sectors: Life Sciences, Manufacturing Engineering, Digital and Net Zero, in the development of the Skills Bootcamps. 

The bootcamps have been designed to fast-track people into new careers or help them to get ahead in their current career and will launch in April 2023.

The Skills Bootcamps are being delivered with funding from the Department for Education.  They are open to all adults over 19, whether they are in full time employment, self-employed, recently unemployed or returning to work after a break.

Employers can also put forward their own employees to attend a Skills Bootcamp to develop new skills that their business needs. Should they want to benefit from the programme they will be asked to make a small contribution to the cost (10% if they have less than 250 employees and 30% if they have more than 250 employees).

Alison Webster, CEO of Berkshire LEP, “We’re delighted to have successful received £1.5million government funding to deliver the Skills Bootcamps programme in Berkshire. Berkshire LEP has invested more than £25million in skills over the past 10 years to support economic growth and resilience. These bootcamps will help to close the skills gap in four of the key sectors in our local economy and will help individuals and businesses during the current cost-of-living crisis.

“We have 18,100 economically inactive people in Berkshire who would like to work, so we are working closely with skills providers, delivery partners and employers to ensure the bootcamps not only shine a spotlight on the future priorities for investment in employment and skills, but also help us maintain the competitiveness of Berkshire’s economy, raise productivity and improve the wellbeing of residents.”

Gillian May, Group Principal and CEO of The Windsor Forest Colleges Group said, “As a key education provider of education in Thames Valley Berkshire, the Windsor Forest Colleges Group is delighted to be part of the Skills Bootcamp in Berkshire. This is an is exciting initiative, which will offer adults across the region the opportunity to upskill in key skills shortage areas. The innovative range of flexible training on offer through the scheme, will be delivered by expert delivery partners across the region. Learners will benefit from industry standard and specialist teaching, combined with use of state-of-the-art equipment and resources combined with opportunities for employment with a range of businesses in key growth areas.”