5 hours ago
A campaign has been launched urging the government to reconsider plans to reduce funding for Skills Bootcamps from £4.7 million to £1.5 million next year.
David Crew, Managing Director of the Somerset Chamber of Commerce, said the proposed cut to the scheme in Somerset and Dorset "is blocking economic growth and prosperity in Somerset."
Skills Bootcamp graduate Zoe Vearncombe described the news as "disappointing," noting that her course enabled her to switch careers and save for a house deposit.
A spokesperson from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) stated that the government is investing more money overall and moving to a budget-led funding model because the previous demand-led approach was unsustainable.
Skills Bootcamps are short, intensive training courses designed to address skills shortages in key sectors.
Somerset Council, the accountable body for the Skills Bootcamp scheme in Somerset and Dorset, has written to the DWP expressing "serious concern" about how the new funding allocations were determined.
The council said its budget for next year was based on the scheme's success in 2024, but it currently has £13 million in funding requests.
David Crew warned that the consequences of the funding cuts could include fewer opportunities for Somerset residents to retrain or upskill, increased recruitment challenges for local employers, and a weakening of Somerset's economic resilience.
Crew also highlighted potential impacts on major local projects, such as the nuclear power station being built at Hinkley Point and the construction of the UK's largest car battery factory near Bridgwater.
Chris Escott, Managing Director of Berry & Escott Engineering in Bridgwater, said ten of his employees want to attend a Skills Bootcamp this year. He explained, "If we can't send our employees on these bootcamps, it means that it stifles and puts a stranglehold on the business."
In a statement, a DWP spokesperson said: "We are increasing investment in Skills Bootcamps in the 2026-27 financial year, including the local delivery budget, while also implementing a new budget-led allocation model for local areas to ensure the distribution of funding remains fit for purpose as the programme matures."
The government explained that the previous funding model had become "unsustainable" and said the new approach would allow more people and businesses across England to benefit.
Final details about budget allocations are expected to be published in May.
