News / weca
£3.3m to expand skills bootcamp programme in Bristol region
People have the opportunity to build up skills in areas ranging from HGV driving and construction to green sector jobs through a series of free courses.
The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has secured £3.3m in funding for the expansion of the Skills Bootcamps programmes that have been running across the Bristol region.
The Government cash is available until March 2023 and will provide training courses for up to 1,200 people who are either unemployed, seeking a career change or looking to gain new skills.
Each bootcamp is free and runs for up to 16 weeks with the aim of helping people build up ‘sector-specific skills’ in areas such as digital marketing, construction, welding, green skills and HGV driving.
The courses will be delivered by a training provider with links to businesses, providing guaranteed interviews and job opportunities.
Welcoming the funding, metro mayor Dan Norris said: “I’m delighted to secure this funding to deliver more Skills Bootcamps, which have been a great success, enabling more local people get the skills they need to move into high-quality and well-paid jobs that meet the needs of employers.
“There is training for heat and solar panel installers and retrofit advisors, vital if we are going to reach our net-zero ambitions, plus there are courses for people who want to be HGV drivers – so important to keeping our shelves full – and welders, plumbers and more.
“As metro mayor, the combined authority that I lead has a real focus on improving people’s skills, and today’s announcement builds on our strong track record in skills delivery and is great news for talented and hard-working West of England residents.”
Businesses, training providers and individuals interested in finding out more can visit: www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/employment-skills/wave-3-skills-bootcamps/
Main photo: West of England Combined Authority
Read more: New website connects people to jobs in hospitality and tourism
Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
