DEVON County Council (DCC) has received its largest ever funding pot to expand its adult skills training programme.

The £8million investment from the Department for Education will enable more than 2,500 adults in Devon to access Skills Bootcamps to upskill, change careers or explore new job opportunities, DCC says.

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, DCC says.

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.

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 [email protected].

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