• Swindon & Wiltshire Education, training and skills
• Tuesday February 25 2025
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Record £12.8 million secured to boost skills, jobs, and growth in the West

An extra 2,600 people in the West of England will benefit from new skills thanks to the record £12.8 million funding secured for Skills Bootcamps by the Mayoral Combined Authority.

The record amount almost doubles last year’s investment in helping local people gain valuable qualifications and advance their careers.

It is the largest amount ever awarded to the West of England for Skills Bootcamps and will allow the expansion of existing training programmes and the introduction of new focus areas, including Education, Professional Services, AI, and Manufacturing, ensuring local workers have the skills to meet growing demand across the region.

Dan Norris, the Mayor of the West of England, said: “This massive £12.8 million investment for my Mayoral Combined Authority is fantastic news for workers and businesses across the West of England.

“Skills Bootcamps have proven a real success, helping workers upskill, take on new responsibilities and get better-paid jobs in key industries while boosting growth in our local economy.

“We’ve already seen great results, with 82 per cent of recent learners supported by their employers to attend a Skills Bootcamp going on to secure new responsibilities or be promoted into more senior positions.

“Now, we’re literally doubling our efforts, to make sure even more people can benefit in our region as we work together to create jobs and growth.”

“The £12.8 million just secured for Skills Bootcamps compares to investments of £3.7 million in 2022/23, £5.8 million in 2023/24, and £7.1 million in 2024/25, as the West of England programme continues to go from strength to strength.

“3,500 people across the West of England have already benefitted from the programme – including 1,300 currently enrolled.”

Funded by the Department for Education’s National Skills Fund, Skills Bootcamps are a key pillar of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, offering learners free courses of up to 16 weeks and a fast-track to an interview with an employer.

The first funding call for new Skills Bootcamps categories opens on March 10, with a further call covering all other sectors launching at the end of March.

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