The government has announced plans to transform the training and skills system in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire in a bid to make it fit for the 21st century economy and help the country build back better from coronavirus.

In the written Ministerial statement released this afternoon, the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been confirmed as one of three regions that will deliver an extension of the government’s Skills Bootcamps programme. The programme has been funded by the Department for Education and developed locally by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership working with local employers, providers and local authorities

Skills Bootcamps are short courses of around 12 weeks that have been designed to give people the opportunity to build up their digital skills and fast-track them to an interview with a local employer.

Register your Interest

Employers and individuals can find out more about the courses available here.

The courses are not for digital experts – participants need a good grasp of the English language and a willingness to learn new skills. The training programme has been developed with local employers and participants who complete the programme will have the opportunity of an employer interview and support to apply for relevant jobs.

The scheme is open to anyone aged 19+ in these local areas, whether they’re looking for work, already in work, or are returning to work after some time out. Courses are particularly being designed to encourage more women into digital roles and training will fit flexibly around existing commitments.

Recruitment for the Skills Bootcamps will start on 7^th December, and the courses must be completed by the end of March 2021. Employers and individuals can pre-register their interest on the D2N2 website.

Skills Bootcamps are just one of the already announced programmes being paid for over five years by the £2.5 billion National Skills Fund, which will also cover an entitlement to a first, full level 3 qualification for every adult, and now the National Retraining Scheme.

Speaking about the announcement, Elizabeth Fagan CBE, Chair of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership said:

“Delivering and increasing skills at all levels is critical to our region’s economic recovery from COVID-19 and our long-term growth. Training in the skills of the future and the skills we know our employers want and need is an important way to help our communities and our people bounce back into employment quickly.

Today’s announcement will complement the many local schemes that are already up and running across our region. I would urge anyone who is out of work or who is concerned about their future employment, to please see what training and course options are available through the D2N2 website.”

Digital Bootcamp D2N2 Partners

Delivery of this work will be undertaken by a partnership of 10 providers, each with differing specialisms, industry links or geographical focus.

Nottingham College Chief Executive, John van de Laarschot, said:

“Nottingham College is thrilled to be a chosen partner in the delivery of the Skills Bootcamp programme. Colleges, and the FE sector more broadly, have a fundamental role in steering the UK’s economic recovery post-Covid. In partnering with this project we are providing local people with the digital skills necessary to help them adapt to the changing needs of employers and improve their current and future employment prospects. Better still we can accelerate our city’s recovery from what has been an incredibly difficult time for us all.”

John Cusworth, Director of GBS Ltd, said:

“The suite of programmes developed to support employers in the D2N2 region present a great opportunity for workforces to enhance and grow their digital infrastructure. In a society that’s becoming more and more digitalised, now is the perfect time to embrace the digital era to ensure businesses are maximising their digital and IT capabilities and are adequately resourced.”

Gail Rochester, Relationship Director of Babington, said:

“Babington are delighted to work closely with employers and communities within D2N2, providing crucial training as part of the skills bootcamps. Investing in the talent across D2N2, enables us to rapidly accelerate careers and support businesses, which is central to our core purpose of Developing Better Futures.”

Pete Buller, CEO at althaus digital, said:

“As a specialist IT & digital training provider, we’re delighted to have been chosen to support both individuals and businesses across the D2N2 region ‘level up’ their digital skills and capability going into 2021.  We continue on our mission to unleash the digital leaders of tomorrow, for which the Skills Bootcamps are a fantastic catalyst to do just that.”

Dimple Khagram, CEO at Purple Beard, said:

“At Purple Beard we believe in transforming education based on the challenges we face as part of the 4th Industrial revolution. As Ken Robinson said, ‘The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn’t need to be reformed — it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardise education, but to personalise it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each person, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.”