D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been delivering Department for Education funded Skills Bootcamps, which have been developed by the Government as part of the Skills for Life programme.
Following successful applications in four previous waves of Skills Bootcamps, D2N2 LEP has secured almost £5 million funding from the Department for Education to boost and broaden its Skills Bootcamps offer, as part of the fifth wave of Skills Bootcamps allocations.
Funding of £4,967,950 represents an increase of almost £1.5 million on D2N2 LEP’s previous allocation in Wave 4 (£3.5 million).
Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for adults aged 19 or over. They give people the opportunity to build up valuable sector-specific skills based on local employer demand and provide a direct path to a job on completion.
With this funding boost D2N2 LEP intends to broaden the range of sectors that its Skills Bootcamps support. For example, it will for the first time, offer Skills Bootcamps in leadership and management for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). D2N2 LEP will also work with providers to offer a wider range of Skills Bootcamps programmes in its priority areas of digital, construction, engineering and green skills (construction and electric vehicles).
As the lead partner, D2N2 LEP will be working with Derbyshire County Council to open the procurement window to allow providers to apply for delivery contracts for Wave 5 Skills Bootcamps programmes. D2N2 LEP will make an announcement as soon as this window opens, expected to be later this Spring.
Employment and Skills Manager, Richard Kirkland, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we’ve succeeded in our application to be a Wave 5 Skills Bootcamps provider, following our successful track record of delivering Skills Bootcamps in all four of the previous waves.
“It’s fantastic that through the increase in funding we’ve secured, we’ll be broadening our offer to include new programmes, such as leadership and management for small and medium sized businesses.
“This is really positive news as I look back on my 40 year career in education and skills and prepare to retire; it’s such a proud moment for me. I would like to thank all my colleagues, all our providers and partners for their support over the years and I wish all the Skills Bootcamps learners all the very best in their future careers.”
