Skills Bootcamps will continue in Hull and East Yorkshire thanks to a £4.3 million funding boost from government to support 1,603 individuals across different sectors.

Hull Training and Adult Education (HTAE), which is leading and managing the programme, will work with employers and training providers to support local people to train up to better jobs in growing business sectors such as digital, transport and green skills.

The £4,363,668.76 of funding is for delivery of Skills Bootcamps during the 2024/25 financial year and has been awarded as part of the government’s Skills for Life initiative.

Cllr Linda Tock, Hull City Council’s portfolio holder for Hull Training, said: “This funding from the government allows us to continue our successful Skills Bootcamp programme.

“We want to help people gain the skills they need to meet the challenges of tomorrow and we can achieve this by working with training providers and businesses across Hull and East Yorkshire.

“A skilled workforce is a productive workforce and it is only through giving them the relevant skills, training and support, that they can play their part in driving forward the Hull and East Yorkshire economy.”

As well as supporting the council’s priority of in-work progression by improving skills and opportunities, it also ties in with Hull and East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s (HEY LEP) Economic Growth Workforce Wellbeing Strategy.

James Newman OBE, chair of HEY LEP, added: “This is an ambitious programme which will provide the higher-level skills needed for our region to become a stronger economy. We are delighted this funding has been secured for Hull and East Yorkshire”.

Skills Bootcamps provide flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving those who take part the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast track to an interview with a local employer or acquire new skills to help their existing employer’s growth ambitions.

These support those seeking a career change, people who are self-employed, those who are unemployed, as well as employed people looking to gain the skills required to secure more responsibility or a promotion with their current employer.

Since Skills Bootcamps are fully funded for individuals, it allows small and medium sized employers to upskill their existing workforce through a Skills Bootcamp whilst receiving a 90 per cent fee reduction. Larger employers are entitled to a 70 per cent fee reduction.

The technical skills are linked to those needed by local employers, increasing the likelihood of learners securing a job or advancing their careers.

HTAE will soon be seeking organisations including colleges, learning organisations, employers or employer bodies to deliver Skills Bootcamps from April 2024 to March 2025.

More information about Skills Bootcamps and how to apply will be on HTAE’s website here.