Over 2,500 adults to benefit from skills training thanks to £8 million funding

Devon County Council has received its largest ever funding award from the Department for Education (DfE) for the expansion of its successful Train4Tomorrow adult skills training programme.

Devon County Council’s Cabinet meeting heard that the investment of just over £8 million will enable more than 2,500 adults in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay to access Skills Bootcamps to upskill, change careers or explore new job opportunities.

Councillors agreed recommendations for a procurement process to get underway next month to commission the delivery of the Skills Bootcamps to March 2026.

The bootcamps, lasting from two to 16 weeks, are for adults (aged 19+) and are designed to meet local business need in response to key labour market shortages. There has been significant employer engagement to help identify skills needs and to shape the courses on offer.

The range of Skills Bootcamps is expanding, with training opportunities available from level 2 to level 5, covering national and local priority sectors. This includes courses in Devon’s key growth sectors – adult social care, green skills, healthcare, hospitality, professional services and support for the voluntary community and social enterprise sector.

There are also opportunities for Care Experienced Young People, aged 19-plus, with bespoke Bootcamps in areas matching career and training aspirations. This aims to reduce the number of Care Experienced Young People who are Not in Education, Employment or Training. Each Skills Bootcamp supplier will also have an obligation through the tender process to outline how they will support and offer work experience to a Care Experienced young person.

Over the past five years, Devon County Council has secured £14.4 million from the DfE to support Train4Tomorrow Skills Bootcamps, enabling more than 5,000 adults to upskill and move into job roles that are in high demand.

Skills Bootcamps are free for people looking to change career, self-employed individuals looking to develop skills to transform and grow their business, and for unemployed individuals looking to gain skills to help them get back into the workplace.

For employers wishing to upskill their staff, Skills Bootcamps can be tailored to individual employers’ needs, with 90% of course costs covered for SMEs and 70% for large businesses.

For those looking to move into new employment, an interview offer with an employer is guaranteed on completion of the Skills Bootcamp.

The procurement process is expected to start next month (April) with the aim of awarding contracts in June and delivering Bootcamps from July.

Employers or training providers in Devon who may be interested in delivering Skills Bootcamps, can find details of the Invitation To Tender at the Supplying the Southwest Portal. For an informal discussion contact the team at train4tomorrow@devon.gov.uk.

To find out more about the Skills Bootcamps, visit the Train4Tomorrow website