Free training available in West Yorkshire

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (the LEP) have announced more free skills bootcamps to support adults to retrain and upskill in the digital and technical sectors and support the economic recovery.

Courses available through the digital and technical skills bootcamps include: Cyber Security, Data Analytics, Web development, Software development and many more.

The bootcamps, part of the LEP’s FutureGoals initiative, are targeting disadvantaged and underrepresented groups including individuals from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, women and those unemployed due to COVID-19.

The programme will work with 200 individuals over a 12-week period from March 2021 to June 2021. It will offer a wrap-around support service, linking to existing programmes including the Employment Hub and the National Careers Service to offer additional support and signposting to job vacancies.

Roger Marsh OBE DL, chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership and the NP11, said: “The impact of the pandemic on our region’s businesses and people has been devastating. The LEP will continue to offer support to individuals and businesses with skills and training as a key part of our economic recovery plan to ensure everyone can benefit from a productive economy that works for all.”

The programme builds on the success of the initial series of bootcamps, which saw over 380 individual’s graduate, including over 48 per cent enrolling on digital courses from a BAME background.

The Combined Authority has been awarded a further £500k by the Department for Education to deliver the bootcamps. The opportunity to bid for the funding was available as a result of the historic devolution deal which will see funding and powers unlocked for the region as West Yorkshire becomes a mayoral combined authority and elects a mayor in 2021.

Jobs threat

Economic forecasting undertaken by the Combined Authority found that in a worst-case scenario, West Yorkshire could see up to 58,000 jobs lost in the next year, leading to an unemployment rate of 14 per cent and £12 billion wiped off the value of the regional economy.

Supporting skills development will be central to the region’s economic recovery from the pandemic by ensuring everyone can access the right skills and training for the future needs of the economy and jobs of the future.

For information on the full range of skills bootcamps and to register, please visit: www.skillsbootcamps.com