Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people under 25 have completed Skills Boot Camps since they have been available; and, of those people, what percentage have gone on to get jobs.

Skills Bootcamps are very popular and there is a high demand for places. The department has now published outcome data from wave 1 of Skills Bootcamps, which was delivered in six areas in England between September 2020 and 31 March 2021. This data shows that over 2,000 participants completed a Skills Bootcamp in this initial stage of the programme.

At least 54% of individuals who completed a Skills Bootcamp in wave 1 of the programme achieved a positive outcome as a result. A positive outcome is defined as a new full or part time job or apprenticeship, a new role or increased responsibilities with their current employer or, for the self-employed, access to new opportunities. Data collected as part of the evaluation of these Skills Bootcamps suggests that 22% of participants were aged 19-25.

Since the initial rollout of the programme, the department have been expanding Skills Bootcamps so that more adults can get the skills they need for good jobs. This includes an estimated 16,000 training places in the current wave 2 of the programme, backed by a £43 million investment in the 2021/2022 financial year. We are investing an additional £550 million across the 2022/2025 financial years, as announced in the Autumn Budget, including an investment of up to £150 million in this financial year for delivery of wave 3 of Skills Bootcamps.

The department has commissioned process and impact evaluations for waves 2 and 3 of Skills Bootcamps, which will provide further evidence and learning to inform future delivery. The reports generated as a result of these evaluations will be available in due course.