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Written question asked by Ashley Fox (Conservative) on Friday, 6 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 10 March 2026. It was answered by Andrew Western (Labour) on Monday, 23 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Skills Bootcamps: Somerset

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people expected to enrol in Skills Bootcamps in Somerset in 2025–26.

Answer

We are giving local areas greater control of the delivery of Skills Bootcamps in line with our commitment to devolution; supporting areas to use Skills Bootcamps to more closely meet the needs of their local employers and economies.

As part of this, a new funding model for local areas from 2026-27 will ensure the distribution of funding remains fit for purpose and sustainable as the programme matures.

Under devolution, local areas are the commissioners of Skills Bootcamps and can plan provision according to local skills priorities. They are responsible for decisions relating to the allocation of funding to individual providers in line with their preferred commissioning method.

We will continue to work with local areas on the implementation of the new funding methodology.

The latest published data on Skills Bootcamps completions and outcomes by sector is available here Evaluation of Skills Bootcamps - 2022 to 2023 (Wave 3) completions and outcomes report.

The department does not publish estimates of Skills Bootcamps starts.

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), an arm’s length body of the Department for Work and Pensions, is also supporting training and skills development for the Hinkley Point C projects. This includes investing in training programmes to support young and adult learners into employment with EDF and its supply chain, such as the ECITB scholarship which is providing training to 16-18 years olds in welding and pipefitting.

The ECITB is also supporting the Hinkley Support Operative Bronze Programme (HSO). By the end of 2026, ECITB’s support for the HSO programme over the past three years is projected to total more than £1.25 million, enabling more than 1100 learners to complete the course.

The ECITB has invested in £460,000 in state-of-the-art training rigs and £300,000 to support the capital costs of Centres of Excellence for mechanical and electrical training in the Somerset area.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
118596
Session
2024-26
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Somerset Skills Bootcamps
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk