⚠️ URGENT: £80m+ in Skills Bootcamp funding being cut across the UK

Save Skills in the South West

The DWP has announced devastating cuts to Skills Bootcamp funding, with Somerset facing a 68% reduction. Programmes that achieved 95.5% positive outcomes are being punished for their own success.

We need your voice. If you've completed a Skills Bootcamp, or your business has benefited from one, your letter of support could help save these vital programmes.

68%
Cut to Somerset's Funding
£9m
Stripped from the South West
95.5%
Somerset's Positive Outcomes
£80m+
Cut Nationally
"Somerset County Council called the new funding model 'perverse'. The council said its budget would drop 68 per cent before the local training programme had reached full maturity of delivery."
— FE Week, February 2026

✍️ Write Your Letter of Support

Use this AI-powered tool to create a personalised letter explaining how Skills Bootcamps have helped you or your business. Your voice matters to decision-makers.

I need your help writing a letter of support for Skills Bootcamp funding in the South West. These programmes are facing severe cuts (Somerset alone is losing 68% of its funding), and we need to show decision-makers the real impact these courses have had. I'll ask you some questions one at a time to understand your experience. Your answers will help me craft a genuine, compelling letter you can share with your local council or MP. Let's begin: **1. First, what's your connection to Skills Bootcamps?** Are you someone who completed a bootcamp, an employer who hired bootcamp graduates, a business owner whose staff attended, a training provider, or someone else who's seen the impact? *(I'll wait for your response before moving to the next question)* **2. Which Skills Bootcamp did you complete or benefit from?** For example: AI and Automation, Digital Marketing, Coding, Construction, Green Skills, etc. And roughly when did you do it? **3. What specific skills did you gain?** Think about practical abilities, tools you learned to use, knowledge you didn't have before. **4. How have you applied these skills?** Consider: in your current job, starting a business, getting a new role, improving processes at work, helping colleagues, etc. **5. What tangible impact has this had?** For example: promotion, pay rise, new job, saved time, increased productivity, won new business, helped your employer, boosted confidence. **6. Why do you think this kind of locally-delivered training matters?** Think about: accessibility, relevance to local employers, cost (free or subsidised), practical focus, networking with local businesses. **7. Is there anything else you'd like decision-makers to understand about your experience?** **8. Finally, for the letter:** - Your name (or "A Skills Bootcamp graduate" if you prefer to stay anonymous) - Your location (e.g. Yeovil, Taunton, Bridgwater) - The name of the training provider if you'd like to mention them Once you've answered, I'll draft a clear, professional letter you can: - Post publicly on LinkedIn to show support - Email to your local council - Send to your MP - Share with us to include in our evidence pack **Let's start: What's your connection to Skills Bootcamps?**

Click to copy the prompt to your clipboard, then paste it into your preferred AI tool. Or use the buttons below to open it directly.

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📬 What to Do With Your Letter

Once you've created your letter, you can:

📊 South West Funding Cuts

Area 2025-26 2026-27 Cut
Somerset (inc. Dorset, Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch) £4.75m £1.5m 68%
Devon £8.3m £3.3m 60%
Wiltshire (inc. Swindon) £2.1m £1.5m 29%
Cornwall £3.7m TBC —
South West Total (confirmed) £15.2m £6.3m 58%

Source: FE Week / Local authorities. Cornwall allocation not yet confirmed.

🏛️ Parliamentary Questions Submitted

Local MP Adam Dance has submitted questions to Parliament demanding answers:

Your letters add weight to these questions and show real demand for these programmes.

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🔗 Share This Campaign

The more people who speak up, the stronger our voice becomes. Share this page with:

Use the hashtag: #SaveSkillsSouthWest

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