Hundreds of local people are to benefit from free training to land new green jobs in the construction industry.

The Department for Education is making £475,000 available to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) so it can hold the bootcamps, which offer people a guaranteed job interview on completion.

Skills bootcamps offer free, flexible training lasting up to 16 weeks in areas including construction, digital and technical. The courses are open to adults aged 19 and over, and offer opportunities for local people to learn new skills or upskill in growth sectors.

By equipping people with the skills to retrofit homes to make more them environmentally friendly, the bootcamps will also help the region achieve its zero-carbon target by 2041.

The jobs where there is expected to be most demand are heat and air conditioning installation; glazing or window fitting; insulation installation); electrical wiring and fitting; and roofing.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “It’s great news that the Government is enabling us to deliver more bootcamps, which have already been a great success in the digital sector. The green industrial revolution is coming, and I am confident that our region is best placed in the UK to lead it.  

“Green technology will play a vital part in our region’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, especially as we know that many people have sadly lost their jobs or are feeling uncertain about their future prospects. We know for example that more than 21,000 jobs could be created in the West Midlands in new green industries across all our economic sectors over the next five years, and 92,000 by 2041.

“It is therefore critical that we get local people the skills they need to take advantage of the jobs on offer in this growing sector, and that's exactly what this extra Government funding will help us do.”

Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills Gillian Keegan said: “It is fantastic that we are expanding our construction skills bootcamps to help even more people gain the vital skills the sector is crying out for.

“Skills bootcamps are unique, giving people the chance to upskill or retrain for free over a short period of time, with a clear line of sight to a job at the end.

“I’d encourage anyone in the West Midlands who is looking for new opportunities in construction to find out more.”

The first bootcamps are expected to start in the summer.