Two hundred and ninety two West of England residents are embarking on digital skills training courses starting this month, as the Combined Authority led by Metro Mayor Dan Norris launches a major milestone in learning.

The courses, which cover the April to July period, are free for learners and will support local people who want to gain in-demand skills to enhance their job prospects.

Designed in the West of England, for the West of England, the free courses on offer will help residents access jobs in the region's thriving digital and creative sectors.

The offer is part of the £2 million West of England Digital Skills Investment Programme which is backing people to upskill to build back from the pandemic, and will support low-paid workers, those unemployed due to Covid-19, as well as those underrepresented in digital roles.

Employers say it is tough to fill a third of vacancies requiring digital skills, and with 82% of jobs requiring digital skills, the next tranche of Digital Skills Investment Programme learners will be in an excellent position to get great jobs in areas such as 2D and 3D design.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: "With these fully-funded digital training courses I'm delighted to be supporting local people climb the career ladder to more rewarding and better-paid jobs. We know that training in the skills that employers want and need is a crucial way to help people advance their careers, and today's announcement builds on the Combined Authority's strong track record in skills delivery. The Combined Authority which I am so proud to lead is determined to make sure talented West of England people from all ages and backgrounds can get on."

Joy Goldsmith took part in one of the first digital boot camps to help with her job hunting. She said: "The teaching was excellent, and I learned a great deal in a short space of time. I was blown away with the assistance and support received from the course management team regarding my hearing disability. They went out of their way to provide expensive hearing equipment and ensured that all lectures were captioned on my computer and mobile phone with various captioning app technologies.

"The networking and company visits were incredible opportunities as well. I cannot recommend these skilled boot camps highly enough – they provide learners with a wonderful experience for growth and learning and the skills to get a job."

Further information on the new courses can be found on the Digital Skills Investment Programme webpage. HERE: the WECA site