With the support of the Department for Education (DfE), Hertfordshire Futures secured Skills Bootcamp funding for 2023-2024, focusing on accelerating solutions to bridge critical skills gaps in key growth sectors.

Skills Bootcamps offer a unique, accessible, and barrier-free route to skills training, empowering adults from diverse backgrounds to enhance their career prospects with sector-specific skills. Initially, Hertfordshire Futures secured £1.4 million in Wave 4 funding, delivering these transformative programmes through a network of seven training providers: Estu Global, Oaklands College, The Retrofit Academy, JGA, All Spring Media, Academy of Live Technology, and iSales Academy.

Each programme is meticulously aligned with local skills needs, ensuring participants are guaranteed a job interview upon completion or supported in securing new contracts or career progression. These programmes are promoted though the Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal, which is the central gateway for all our skills, careers and employment opportunities in Hertfordshire. The portal has had in excess of 275,000 views over the past 12 months with our apprenticeship, sector and jobs pages being the most popular pages viewed by our employers and residents. 

The success of the Wave 4 programme is evident, with 389 residents embarking on a Skills Bootcamp journey and an impressive 88% completing their courses. Of those who completed, 69% have secured or progressed in employment, leveraging the new technical skills acquired. These results surpass the national DfE achievement rates, which stand at 65% completion and 56% employment/progression, highlighting the significant impact of Hertfordshire Futures’ initiatives on local employers and residents.

Chiara Breda (Sustainable Business Manager graduate) said: “The Sustainable Skills Manager Bootcamp has made such a positive impact on me and my future, I am now employed doing a job that I love, have achieved the work life balance for my young family and am still an active member of the Bootcamp alumni community we created during the programme to share knowledge and best practice.”

Building on this success, Hertfordshire Futures has secured an additional £3.4 million for the Wave 5 programme for 2024/25. This new wave includes expanded offerings with new providers and courses, all of which can be explored on the HOP platform.

Hertfordshire Futures continues to lead the way in skills development, driving positive change and creating opportunities for the community.