News and Views

Businesses in Cumbria have the opportunity to gain new funded qualifications for their staff, designed to help them to gain in-demand skills and take on new responsibilities in the workplace.

Skills Bootcamps offer flexible training of up to 16 weeks, giving adults aged 19+ the opportunity to upskill or retrain in sector-specific skills including digital training, construction, project management, logistics and green skills.

Up to 300 places are available now - backed by government funding as part of the government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee. The Guarantee aims to ensure employers have access to the skilled workforce they need, and that more people are trained for the skills gaps that exist now, and in the future.

Nigel Wilkinson (pictured), Managing Director of Windermere Lake Cruises Limited said:

“The opportunity to benefit from the training offered by the Skills Bootcamp has really enabled us to 'unlock talent' in our future business leaders. Having access to cost effective, industry specific training which is delivered locally has been a real benefit to a business such as ours in developing our management team. The positive experience that we have had with Skills Bootcamp has demonstrated the great benefit of structured management training.”

Paul Bullock from 3D360, who offers a 3D CAD and Digital Manufacturing Skills Bootcamp said:

“3D Printing/CAD works well for cottage industries and the self-employed due to the levelling up nature and capabilities of 3D Printing/CAD being able to compete with traditional machining & design and build companies but from your desktop at home. We have worked with employers to provide collaborative wraparound support around soft skills and career progression routes such as further training and progression pathways. There is great potential to achieve new roles and responsibilities utilising skills acquired through Skills Bootcamps.”

Keith Dymond who runs Barrow Training Partnership based in Carlisle is working with local construction companies to offer bespoke solutions for training including Supervisor Construction and Women in Construction Skills Bootcamps.

Mike Howe, who runs a groundworks company near Brampton said:

“We have employed two lads from BTP's recent Skills Bootcamp, and they are doing well on site. The program is a very good idea for a company like mine and is an ideal way to help meet the shortage of skilled people in construction.”

CLEP Skills Bootcamp Programme Manager Naomi Morgan said:

“We are so excited to be offering a further 300 funded training opportunities across Westmorland & Furness and Cumberland, giving businesses the chance to retrain or upskill staff. These are such great opportunities and are vital in supporting business across our Counties and to help people progress at work. We have a variety of high quality provision available and we want to keep employers at the heart of the training system. Businesses taking up the funded courses have the potential to boost the productivity of their staff, ultimately resulting in better business performance and increased profitability.”

Skills Bootcamps will be co-funded by the employer, where the employer is training their own existing employees. If the employer is a large business (over 250 employees) they will contribute 30% of costs with SMEs (less than 250 employees) contributing 10%. There will not be any charges to the individual participants and as such, self employed learners are completely funded.

For more information on Skills Bootcamps and current available provision visit our Skills Bootcamps page, or email naomi.morgan@thecumbrialep.co.uk.