Accounting officer assessment: skills bootcamps and free courses for jobs
Updated 2 April 2024
Applies to England
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Accounting officers scrutinise significant policy proposals, projects or programmes and ensure the actions of the public organisation they lead meet the 4 accounting officer standards (regularity, propriety, value for money, and feasibility) as set out in managing public money.
From April 2017, the government has committed to making a summary of the key points from these assessments available to Parliament when an accounting officer has assessed a project or programme within the government’s major projects portfolio (GMPP).
Background
The National Skills Fund (NSF) was introduced in the 2019 Conservative manifesto. This investment was set in the context of investing in skills to deliver on the government’s aims of:
- levelling up opportunity across the country,
- boosting productivity
- supporting businesses of the future, including in priority areas like clean energy
Aims of the NSF include helping adults to gain the valuable skills they need to improve their job prospects. Through targeted offers, such as free courses for jobs and skills bootcamps, employers are put at the heart of the system to boost the supply of skills that they require, preparing the labour market for future skills needs.
The key elements funded from the NSF are:
- Level 3 free courses for jobs (FCfJ)
- skills bootcamps
These programmes are covered by this summary.
Skills bootcamps
Skills bootcamps aim to:
- support people to access better jobs
- boost adults’ medium and higher-level skills in priority skill areas
- support employers, including SMEs, to access the skills they need in priority skill areas
The training is delivered through flexible, intensive courses that train adults in a range of technical skills which are identified as priorities. There is then a guaranteed interview to provide the learner with the possibility of a job. This links with further education (FE) reform to make FE provision more responsive to the needs of employers.
Free courses for jobs
Free courses for jobs provides free Level 3 (L3) qualifications for low-skilled, low-earning or unemployed adults. It is intended to increase the number of people with L3 skills in high-value subject areas and where there are significant skills needs. The policy also incorporates measures to incentivise FE providers to better meet the needs of adults studying for these qualifications.
As part of the 2021 autumn budget, the Chancellor announced £1.6 billion investment in the National Skills Fund over 2022 to 2025. This includes investment of up to £550 million to significantly expand skills bootcamps, and investment to expand the eligibility for delivery of the free courses for jobs offer, which is now open to more adults.
Assessment against accounting officer standards
Regularity
The Secretary of State has the power to enter into contracts with third party service providers. External legal advisers also support the development of contracts to ensure appropriate contract terms are negotiated.
The Secretary of State also has statutory authority under section 14 of the Education Act 2002, section 31/39a of the Local Government Act 2003 and section 100(1) of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children, and Learning Act 2009 to provide financial assistance in the form of grant funding for educational related purposes and permit the directing of funds to local authorities (including mayoral combined authorities and the Greater London Authority) and companies. Expenditure on educational related purposes is covered within the departmental ambit.
As such, the programme does not require any new legislation and no issues are anticipated in maintaining compliance with established United Kingdom law.
Propriety
Skills bootcamps and free courses for jobs are directly linked to the commitment set out in the 2019 Conservative manifesto. The full business case covering these elements went through the department’s clearance process and was approved by the department’s Investment Committee and subsequently by HM Treasury. We are additionally carrying out an evaluation for the programme.
Value for Money
Value for money has been a key focus in the business case supporting this programme, and there is a good rationale in place for investment in skills bootcamps and FCfJ.
Options for FCfJ have also been subject to qualitative assessment and quantitative assessment via published, quality-assured evidence and internal net present value (NPV) analysis. To further improve the value for money of this element of the programme, the offer is targeted in subject areas and qualifications that have the highest economic value and strongest alignment with key government priorities. This will ensure that government funding is focused on the areas in which it will have most impact, and further increase the chance that learners will gain good employment outcomes in line with government priorities.
With regards to skills bootcamps, there has been positive evidence from the first wave of skills bootcamps. Process evaluations are in place to gather roll-out evidence on for example:
- extent of take-up
- effectiveness of implementation
- initial evidence of outcomes
This evidence will be used to inform ongoing implementation. This process evaluation is essential to make sure that the programme delivers value for money and in-depth monitoring can correct any issues with implementation before future stages of roll-out.
Data from process evaluation will be complemented by impact evaluation data in later years, enabling evidence-based decisions about future funding of the interventions.
Feasibility
The programme is assessed as deliverable. Sufficient budget has been secured, and the programme team is resourced, has adhered to all internal review and approval processes and has established strong project and portfolio management methodologies and processes to monitor and manage the project.
Conclusion
As accounting officer for the Department for Education, I have considered this assessment against the four accounting officer standards, and I am satisfied that the skills bootcamps and free courses for jobs programme relies on clear legal powers, meets the standards of manging public money and accords with the generally understood principles of public life; represents good value for money for the Exchequer as a whole; and is feasible to deliver.
If any of these factors change materially during the lifetime of this project, I undertake to prepare a revised summary, setting out my assessment of them.
This summary will be published on the government’s website (GOV.UK). Copies will be deposited in the Library of the House of Commons; and sent to the Comptroller and Auditor General and Treasury Officer of Accounts.
Susan Acland-Hood
Permanent Secretary