The York and North Yorkshire LEP is partnering with specialist providers and leading employers to deliver a programme of 30 Skills Bootcamps, supporting more than 800 individuals.
For learners, Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving those who take part the opportunity to build up specific skills and – if they are unemployed or seeking to change career – a fast-track to an interview with an employer looking to recruit new talent. The current raft of sessions, running until next spring, builds on a similar programme last year, involving 1,000 people.
This current programme of Skills Bootcamps offers a range of courses in areas such as cyber security, game design, programming, forestry, rail engineering and care, and reflects the diverse needs of our local economy.
Peter Emery, Chair of York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership Skills and Employability Board, said: “Skills Bootcamps offer a great way for learners to progress their careers and for employers to gain additional expertise. This latest menu of courses offers an exciting range of opportunities and can be tailored to a company’s actual needs thus making them a very attractive option to many SMEs and micro-businesses.”
Partners delivering Skills Bootcamps in collaboration with Y&NY LEP include Learning Curve Group, City of York Council, Calderdale College, Coders Guild, Corecom Technology Academy, Northern Regeneration CIC, Wakefield College, Hybrid Technical Services, Luminate Education Group and Craven College.
Last year Third-based steel construction company Severfield put five employees onto a metal fabrication Skills Bootcamp led by Derwent Training, in Malton.
Luke Malton, a steel fabricator and one of the Severfield employees who took part, said: “I really enjoyed this course. The tasks that we completed over the 12 weeks were very hands on, so it felt like we were thrown in at the deep end at first, but that’s exactly what was needed to make sure we got the most out of the time. I already feel like I have a broader skill set that I can continue to build on during my time here and that will allow me to work on a wider range of jobs.
“Some people might be put off by the idea of taking part in something like this, because it feels like you’re going back into education. But because we were able to complete the training sessions during work hours, it felt a lot more like professional development than teaching.”
To find out more about Skills Bootcamps, please email: emilie.bjorndal@ynylep.com
