£1.8m funding for digital skills bootcamps to help people into better jobs
Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson visited the Babylon Gallery in Ely. He said: "They do great work bringing arts and culture opportunities to the area to connect communities. Lovely to see the fantastic artwork of local children in the EastCambs school exhibition." - Credit: MAYOR'S OFFICE
£1.8 million in funding will help more than 800 people across Cambridgeshire gain digital skills.
Skills Bootcamps are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer.
The Combined Authority Board agreed on Wednesday July 28 to approve the contract to run skills bootcamps – part of the government’s lifetime skills guarantee and plan for jobs.
The contract covers skills bootcamps for the East of England, not just the Combined Authority area, and will focus on digital skills needed by local employers.
The Combined Authority was the only successful bidder in the East of England and is the lead partner in a delivery consortium.
Skills bootcamps offer skills at Level 3 (equivalent to A-Levels, an advanced technical certificate or diploma) or above and aim to meet the needs of employers and the wider economy.
They are for people who are aged 19 or over and who are:
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• employed, self-employed, or;
• career changers/returners/redeployed, or;
• unemployed within the last 12 months.
The Department for Education has approved two providers to deliver the skills bootcamps: Cambridge Regional College and independent training provider Purple Beard.
Digital skills on offer vary from data analysis, cloud computing, digital marketing, advanced database design and website production.
Delivery of the skills bootcamps will be completed by March 2022.
Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson said: “It is fantastic that the Combined Authority was able to successfully bid for £1.8 million of much needed new money to help hundreds of people in the East of England get the skills they need to secure really good jobs.
"The east is an unsung hero in terms of the UK economy, so it is great to able to plough this funding back into our dynamic, growing region.
“Investing in giving people the skills they need to thrive will pay itself back many times over, in terms of supporting business growth and increasing productivity.
“But even more fundamentally, the link between skills levels and health, wealth and wellbeing is clear."
For more information, visit the Skills Bootcamps website.
