Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many young people have been recruited to skills bootcamps in the years (1) 2019–20, (2) 2020–21, and (3) 2021–22 so far; and how many of these students studied environmental sustainability.

Skills Bootcamps are short, flexible courses for adults aged 19 and over. They support adults to gain sector-specific skills. This includes skills that support sustainability and the green industrial revolution, such as retrofit construction, vehicle electrification, and woodland management.

Skills Bootcamps are very popular and there is a high demand for places. The department anticipates that approximately 16,000 Skills Bootcamps places will be provided in the 2021/22 financial year. These are backed by £43 million from the National Skills Fund. The current Wave 2 of the programme saw a number of Skills Bootcamps delivered in green sectors and jobs. We will continue to expand the programme further following the announcement of £550 million additional funding at the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021. This expansion will include an increased delivery of Skills Bootcamps that will support adults into green jobs.

There were no Skills Bootcamps delivered in the financial year 2019/20. Between September 2020 and March 2021, over 2000 participants completed a Skills Bootcamp. Data collected as part of the evaluation of these Skills Bootcamps suggests that 22% of participants were aged 19 to 25.

The department has commissioned process and impact evaluation for wave two of Skills Bootcamps, which is currently being delivered in the 2021/22 financial year. This evaluation will provide further information about participation in Skills Bootcamps in the 2021/22 financial year.