West Yorkshire to receive a further £3million to fund adult skills training

The adult training courses are being funded by the Department for Education’s Skills Bootcamps – part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, helping everyone gain skills for life. Skills Bootcamps are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer, with the aim of progressing into higher skilled roles that offer more sustainability and the opportunity to earn a higher income.

The further funding follows a successful pilot which ran between January 2021 to March 2021 and saw 64% of graduates secure employment progression due to their newly acquired skills.

The courses will sit under the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s Skills Connect campaign which helps adult learners to navigate and access funded training opportunities across West Yorkshire.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire said: “To receive a further £3million to help adult learners gain new skills and access higher skilled roles is fantastic news for West Yorkshire’s communities and local economy.

“64% of graduates securing employment progression during the last round of courses is extremely promising and I’m excited to see what the next cohort of graduates will achieve.”

Participants will be brought closer to higher skilled jobs acquiring leadership, management, or technical skills, for example, giving them a line of sight to new roles, industries, or career progression.

Courses will address the skills needs of local employers and the wider economy, providing a talent pipeline to fill vacancies in sectors such as digital, construction and the green economy.

Local employers will help shape the content of courses ensuring that participants graduate with skills needed by their prospective employers.

The fully-funded courses contribute to the Mayor’s pledge to: Prioritise skills and training to ensure everyone in West Yorkshire has the skills they need to secure work.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire added: "“Not only will we offer adults training to gain new technical skills, we’ll also help participants to access robust careers advice and support, ensuring they have the soft employability skills that are so vital to securing employment.”

“As part of the economic recovery from the pandemic, these courses are central to supporting individuals and the growth of our businesses.”

Participants will have the opportunity to access training courses flexibly, fitting in with personal or existing work commitments.

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