Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s £3billion investment in skills bootcamps in the Autumn Budget shows clear support for the initiative. The pandemic was a very long sharp shock for all businesses that the technological revolution was not upon us, but already here.
Digital skills bootcamps are an essential part of the growing need for technical skills. From UX to data analysis, it’s clear that the employment market isn’t overflowing with these technical skills. These bootcamps can offer short but much-needed skillsets for any company.
One 2021 report revealed that 48% of UK businesses were recruiting for skills in the tech sector, but around 46% were finding it difficult to find the right people. Different from apprenticeships, skills bootcamps can bridge the gap between the people you need and the skills you want.
So, what are digital skills bootcamps?
Digital skills are wide-ranging, including data analytics, data engineering, web development, coding, UI and UX design, cloud computing, digital marketing, and cyber security. Basically, these are the areas that can keep your business safe, running, thriving, and growing in the biggest marketplace on the planet. Whether it’s building a user interface for our customers or having all the best mod cons that protect what matters to you most, skills bootcamps can provide those upskills.
Bootcamps can be used by your current workforce as well as those who are out of work, looking for a way in. Does your business need extra protection for conducting sales online or a better understanding of how to pitch your content to bring in new customers? This can do a world of good for an activities business trying to position itself as a viable, cost-effective option to mainstream childcare options. Different to apprenticeships, they are fully flexible and can take up to 16 weeks to complete.
The importance of partnerships
Partnerships between business and local authorities are important here too. You’ll be aware that it’s one of the ways you position your services as an activities provider, and it works the same way for skills bootcamps. If you have a digital skills shortage in your business, it’s likely that other businesses are facing a similar issue. Where the local authorities manage skills bootcamps, being a key partner means developing the skills your business needs.
Amritpal Singh, Director of Metaminds CIC, took this very approach when it came to analysing the use of WMCA digital bootcamps by Local Education and Development (LEAD). The point of his company’s analysis was to improve the way they collect data so they could create better relationships with beneficiaries and inform funding applications.
That doesn’t mean the average employer should rest on their laurels. You should be making your plans either to maximise the funding available to run skills bootcamps for your own staff or choose other employment options to help your company grow if the skills you require are not available in your area.
