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Skills Bootcamps offered up to
16 weeks of free, flexible training in high-demand sectors such as
digital, construction, creative industries, green skills, and
leadership. They were designed to align with both national and
local priorities, and they provided residents with a direct pathway
to employment, career progression, or self-employment and include a
guaranteed interview with an employer.
 
Skills Bootcamps formed a key
component of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee,
aimed at equipping individuals with in-demand skills for sustained
employment. Following the recent transfer of responsibility for
post-19 education and skills from the Department for Education
(DfE) to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Skills
Bootcamps were now fully managed and funded by the DWP, aligning
delivery more closely with national employment and labour market
priorities.
 
The Bootcamps focused on
vocational skills at levels 2-5 (medium to higher level technical
skills). A key differentiator for the scheme was that, upon
completing the Bootcamp, each learner was guaranteed either an
interview within the relevant sector or confirmation from their
employer that the skills gained were actively being applied in
their role and supporting career progression.  Buckinghamshire Council had been the Accountable
Body responsible for delivery of the programme since July 2023 and
since then the Council has been allocated three ‘waves’
of grant funding, totalling £7.5m.
 
The Leader commented that
national unemployment had increased by 5.1% and with the
Council’s economic strategy it was important to help
Buckinghamshire residents gain the skills they needed. He and one
of his Deputy Leader’s had visited a bootcamp in Iver which
focussed on construction skills and provided two weeks’ worth
of training. There was a high throughput and plenty of job
opportunities in this area.
 
The data from Wave 5
demonstrated a high level of performance, significantly passing the
DWP key performance indicator target of 70%. There were three
stages of milestones: enrolment, completion and job outcomes.
Enrolment performance was 98% against a benchmark of 75%,
Completion performance was 86% against a benchmark of 70-75% and
job outcome was 72% against a benchmark of 70-75%. Following a
targeted marketing campaign 405 participants were enrolled by the
end of the funded year. One learner commented that “The
course has given me the tools and motivation to pursue a new career
path — I feel much more confident now.” There were case
studies included in the report.
 
RESOLVED that the progress be noted.