SKILLS BOOTCAMPS: A GUIDE FOR EMPLOYERS

In today’s fast-paced economy, businesses need employees with skills they can quickly put into practice. Conversely, specific skills gaps and a lack of applicants for job roles can hinder growth and competitiveness. Enter the Liverpool City Region’s Skills Bootcamps: efficient solutions for the recruitment and skills challenges facing many firms across the region.

What Are Skills Bootcamps?

Skills Bootcamps are adaptable training programmes tailored for adults aged 19 and above. With a duration of up to 16 weeks, they provide participants with a specific set of industry skills and the opportunity to attend a job interview with an employer looking for this skill set upon completion. Employers meanwhile, can use this initiative to recruit people into vacant positions or enhance the skills of their current workforce.

Training can be hands-on or online, depending on the skills being developed. The courses provide specific skills across sectors such as health and social care, hospitality, HGV driving, construction, railway engineering, and digital marketing. For a complete list of Skills Bootcamps in the Liverpool City Region, check out this regularly updated list [https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/skills-bootcamps-for-the-workplace].

For businesses based in the Liverpool City Region that need to address skills gaps or recruit staff, Skills Bootcamps offer a dual approach:

• Recruitment: Employers gain access to a pipeline of candidates ready to step into entry-level positions after completing a relevant intensive industry training programme. There is no obligation to employ a candidate; however, employers are asked to commit to granting interviews for a minimum number of candidates.
• Upskilling: Employers can use a relevant Skills Bootcamp to enhance the skills of existing employees, boost their confidence, and enable them to take on more complex roles or promotions.

Let’s take a closer look at how Skills Bootcamps can benefit your business. 

Business Benefits of Skills Bootcamps 

1. Focussed and Bespoke Training: One of the standout advantages of Skills Bootcamps is that they focus on developing a specifically defined industry skill set, such as HGV driving or digital marketing.

2. Cost-Effective: For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), 90% of the training costs are funded, while larger employers get a 70% discount. This makes Skills Bootcamps a highly cost-effective way to develop your workforce, making your training budget go further.

3. Immediate Impact: The short duration of Skills Bootcamps means that employees can rapidly apply what they’ve learned, leading to quick improvements in productivity and performance.

4. Employee Retention: Upskilling existing employees fills skills gaps and boosts staff morale and job satisfaction. Employees who feel valued are more likely to stay with a company long-term. Enrolling staff on a Skills Bootcamp is a short and effective way of investing in your staff and their careers. Staff who complete a Skills Bootcamp can also progress onto an apprenticeship as part of a long-term career pathway.

5. Access to a Talent Pool: Skills Bootcamps allow employers to tap into a pool of candidates who have been trained in line with the latest industry standards and practices. This ensures that new hires are skilled and bring knowledge of the latest in industry practice to the workplace.

Get Started with Skills Bootcamps

Here are some pointers for getting started with Skills Bootcamps.

• Assess Your Needs: Ask one of our Skills Brokers to help you conduct a training needs analysis to identify your organisation’s skills gaps. 
• Recruit or Upskill: Decide whether to use Skills Bootcamps to recruit new staff or upskill existing employees. Again, our Skills Brokers can help you decide.
• Work with a Skills Broker to Design Training: If you are upskilling existing employees, our Skills Brokers can help you design bespoke courses that meet your specific needs. 
• Register and Participate: You will need to provide details about your organisation and the skills you need by registering on the Be More Skills Bootcamp page in the employers’ section [https://bemorestage.awtg.co.uk/skillsbootcamps/]
• Commit to Job Interviews: If you chose the recruitment option, agree to provide job interviews to an agreed number of candidates who have completed training.

Skills bootcamps allow employers to address skills shortages, enhance employee capabilities, and stay competitive. They are a flexible, cost-effective solution tailored to your needs.

Ready to bridge the skills gap in your organisation? Visit BeMore [https://bemorestage.awtg.co.uk/skillsbootcamps/] to learn more and register your interest today. 

Bootcamps are part of the Skills for Life fund, developed by the Department for Education and implemented locally by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.