On my travels across Somerset, I hear many businesses looking to address skills gaps by hiring new talent and upskilling their workforce. It’s why Somerset Chamber of Commerce is working with our colleagues at Business West to create a new Skills Plan for Somerset.
This is why I am dismayed to hear of the Department for Work and Pensions’ recent decision to significantly reduce funding for Skills Bootcamp courses in our county.
Skills Bootcamps have played a vital role in supporting Somerset’s economy by providing short, intensive training aligned directly with employer needs. They have helped address persistent skills shortages in key sectors such as construction, engineering and manufacturing, digital and health, while enabling residents to retrain, upskill and move into sustainable employment. 
Employers across Somerset have strongly valued the programme for its flexibility, responsiveness and focus on real workforce demand. In fact, businesses have collaborated with training providers to achieve over 95% positive learner outcomes from Skills Bootcamps in Somerset, yet our region is facing a 68% reduction in funding for these vital training courses. This would limit funded places to around 380 learners in 26/27, despite demand far exceeding that figure.
As Somerset’s business representative body, we developed the Somerset Local Skills Improvement Plan in 2023. Employers asked for shorter modular training courses. Training providers responded by offering innovative Skills Bootcamp courses in areas such as lean manufacturing and new technologies including AI. This funding is vital to small businesses who make up 85% of the 29,000 firms in Somerset, especially at a time where many are grappling with rising costs due to energy and wages.
Under the new funding approach introduced by the DWP, allocations are now budget-led and based on historic spend rather than current and future labour market need. As a result, Somerset faces a reduction of approximately 68% in Skills Bootcamp funding — from £4.7 million to around £1.5 million in the 2026–27 financial year. This represents a loss of more than £3 million of investment that would otherwise directly support Somerset residents and businesses.
This reduction does not reflect the success or potential of Skills Bootcamps in Somerset. Delivery in the county has demonstrated strong outcomes, with very high progression rates into employment and further training, and was expected to scale further as programmes matured. The revised funding methodology risks penalising areas like Somerset where demand and delivery were still growing, despite clear evidence of need and impact.
The consequences of this cut are likely to include:
At a time when national and local policy is rightly focused on productivity, economic growth and reducing inactivity, this reduction in skills investment is deeply concerning.
Somerset is a key industrial region for the UK, supporting the nation with its capability in high value manufacturing, construction, defence, low carbon energy and food production industries. We have a £14bn (GDP) economy with businesses ready to drive forward and grow, creating employment opportunities for our residents.
Our region has a new nuclear power station in development at Hinkley Point C, vital for the UK’s energy infrastructure. We’re also seeing a £4bn investment by Agratas to create a unique battery cell manufacturing facility. Both of these key projects, relevant to the UK’s competitiveness and Industrial Strategy, need vital skills.
This DWP decision is blocking economic growth and prosperity in Somerset which is unacceptable.
Somerset Chamber of Commerce will be lobbying with our members to raise this issue with our MPs, Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions and relevant departments. We will be pressing for an urgent review of the Skills Bootcamp funding methodology. We will also advocate for funding allocations that properly reflect local labour market needs, growth ambitions and programme performance
If you are a business that has benefitted from Skills Bootcamp training and would like to join this campaign, email manager@somerset-chamber.co.uk
David Crew
Managing Director
Somerset Chamber of Commerce
Join Somerset Chamber of Commerce to give your business a stronger voice both locally, regionally and nationally. Combined with local town chambers, we represent over 2,000 businesses across Somerset with a direct line to policy-makers at all levels.
