# Our new Skills Bootcamp timetable --- *"The contract period for each competition is for a 1 year term, commencing on the agreement date 01/09/2023 and expiring on 31/08/2024"* ###### Document 1. Procurement Document A Invitation to Participate, p.5 --- However, I missed something. --- *"Suppliers must achieve Starts by 31st March 2024, in line with delivery plans and in time to achieve Completions by this deadline also."* ###### Document 3. Skills Bootcamps Call Off Agreement, p.86 --- ## What does it mean? --- It means that instead of 3 terms to deliver 72 Skills Bootcamp places, we now only have 2 terms. --- In terms of funding, this is great news, but it does mean that we need to think a bit differently about how we run Skills Bootcamps, about their connection to apprenticeships, and about who runs them. --- As we hire more apprentices, our capacity to run training programmes also goes up. --- Meanwhile, we have five potential bottlenecks: - The number of eligible applicants - Our capacity to run admissions - Our capacity to run Skills Bootcamps - Employment opportunities - Our capacity to run apprenticeships --- ### The number of eligible applicants We could have filled FAC29 twice over. We usually have fewer applicants at this time of year! --- ### Our capacity to run admissions --- #### We could simplify the admissions process - Let our FAC apprentices do the interviews - Assess applications as they come in - Once we have enough, roll new applicants over - We can slow down some applications to maintain balance --- ### Our capacity to run Skills Bootcamps --- - We are about to go from 2 to 4 apprentices - By January, we will have 6 apprentices - They will give us the extra capacity we need --- ### Employment opportunities --- We are expected to find employment opportunities for our learners. This will be a challenge. However... --- We have a 6-month window to do so after the end of each Skills Bootcamp. And we can increase the level of post-bootcamp support (similar to the apprentice coding club). --- ### Our capacity to train apprentices --- If we are successful in finding apprenticeships, this will become a constraint. However... --- - We are not expecting everyone to get an apprenticeship - We can stop taking unapprenticed learners - This is unlikely to be an issue before the summer - We have time to plan --- Both Skills Bootcamps and apprenticeships are well funded. We can apply more resources where needed. --- ## Steps --- ### Step 1 Start accepting applications for FAC30 and get ready to start them off mid-term. --- ### Step 2 **More automation**. We have Ivan, Izaak and Besart on the team and 4 (soon 6) apprentices, so we have no shortage of talent. Let's eat our own dog food! --- ### Step 3 Take on 24 Skills Bootcamp learners in January, as planned. --- ### Step 4 In order to make the March deadline, we could do one or two additional Bootcamps full-time. --- In summary: This is an opportunity for more people who meet our application criteria to get a Skills Bootcamp place. Our apprentices almost certainly have capacity. It does not commit us to take on more apprentices before the summer. We can resource any additional work needed.