Skills Bootcamps: free retraining in England
Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for adults in England, designed with employers and ending in a guaranteed job interview. They cover skills employers say they are short of, from software and data to construction, green energy and driving.
They are one of the cheapest ways to test a new direction. They are not a shortcut to a whole new profession, and the ones worth doing lead to a specific job.
- Cost
- Free if you are eligible and not being trained by your own employer
- Length
- Up to 16 weeks, often part-time, evenings or online
- Who
- Aged 19 or over, living in England, with the right to work in the UK
- At the end
- A guaranteed job interview with an employer
What you can study
Courses vary by area, but common subjects include software development, data, cyber security and digital marketing; construction and retrofit; green skills such as heat pumps and solar; engineering and manufacturing; and HGV and other driving licences.
Bootcamps are run by colleges, training providers and employers. From 2026-27 some areas, including London, manage bootcamp funding themselves, so what is available depends on where you live.
If your employer wants to put you on one
Bootcamps can also train existing staff. In that case the employer pays part of the cost, a smaller share for small and medium businesses and a larger one for large employers. If you are hired by an employer after completing a bootcamp elsewhere, they pay nothing.
Are Skills Bootcamps worth it?
The best ones are short routes into a specific job: an HGV licence, a recognised installer qualification, or a junior tech role with a named employer partner. The weaker ones teach general skills with no clear job at the end.
Before you sign up, ask the provider how many people completed the last cohort, how many got interviews and how many got jobs. Compare it with an apprenticeship, which takes longer but pays you and ends in a full qualification.
Sixteen weeks is enough to start a career, not to finish retraining. Check the career guide for where you would go next, and what that pays, before you choose.
How to find one
Search the government's Find a Skills Bootcamp service, and check your local or combined authority, which may run its own. Places fill quickly, so apply early.
Questions people ask
Are Skills Bootcamps really free?
Yes for eligible individuals who are not being trained by their own employer. If your employer puts you on one to upskill you, the employer pays part of the cost.
Who can do a Skills Bootcamp?
Adults aged 19 or over who live in England and have the right to work in the UK. Some bootcamps have extra requirements, such as prior experience or a driving licence for HGV courses.
Do Skills Bootcamps guarantee a job?
No. They guarantee a job interview with an employer at the end, not a job. Ask providers about the outcomes of previous cohorts.
Can I do a Skills Bootcamp while working?
Usually, yes. Many run part-time, in the evenings or online so you can keep your current job while you train.
Retrain into the right thing
Career Compass ranks up to ten UK careers from your own answers, with the reasons, the routes and a 30-day plan to test a direction before you pay for any course. £19.99 once, full report included.
More on paying to retrain
Funding rules apply to England and change often. Facts last checked October 2026; always confirm with the official source before you apply.