Training and Skills Support

What are Skills Bootcamps? 

Skills Bootcamps are flexible training courses designed to help adults develop the specific skills employers need. As part of the Government's Lifetime Skills Guarantee, they offer a valuable opportunity to bridge skills gaps, support recruitment and boost career prospects.

These short, intensive programmes typically last up to 16 weeks and offer at least 60 guided learning hours. Delivered at Levels 2 to 5, they’re designed to fit around existing commitments and can be offered online, face-to-face or through a blended approach.

Skills Bootcamps are aimed at adults aged 19 and over, including:

• Self-employed individuals looking to grow or adapt their skill set.
• Unemployed people, who will benefit from training and a fast-track to interview with a local employer.
• Employees in the public, private or voluntary sectors whose training is supported by their employer.
• Employed learners looking to change career or move into a new sector.

Employers also benefit. Skills Bootcamps are an effective way to fill medium to higher-level vacancies and support workforce development. Local businesses can get involved by supporting learners with time to study, offering interviews, and recruiting from a pool of motivated, newly trained candidates.

Whether you're an individual looking to upskill or a business looking to grow, Skills Bootcamps are here to help.

Costs

• Skills Bootcamp training is always 100% free to learners!
• There is no cost to employers in recruiting individuals who have completed a Skills Bootcamp.
• Employer participation is at the heart of all Skills Bootcamp training.

• Employers contribute to the cost of training if they want to use Skills Bootcamps to train their existing employees - large employers (over 250+ employees) contribute 30% of the cost, and small or medium employers (SMEs up to 250 employees) contribute 10%.

   

Skills Bootcamp Courses

This year, Enterprising Cumbria have invested heavily in sectors such as logistics, project management, sales, marketing and procurement, construction, digital, manufacturing and engineering and other sectors like hospitality, education and much more. 

To find out more about the Skills Bootcamps on offer around Cumbria or to enrol, visit our 2025/26 training partners websites below.