The Government’s Skills for Jobs White Paper set out an ambitious employer-led approach aimed at making Further Education (FE) provision more responsive to local skills needs and ultimately local economic needs.
As part of this approach, Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) were introduced as a key part of the Government’s vision of an adult skills system where businesses are given a much stronger voice in local skills planning by working closely with FE providers, engaging effectively with local leaders and other stakeholders and forging a stronger and more dynamic partnership that will enable provision to be more responsive to the skills needs of employers in local labour markets.
The LSIP is looking to have significant engagement from the business community in order to ascertain skills requirements and the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill provides a statutory underpinning for local skills improvement plans. It introduces duties on providers to co-operate in the development of and then have regard to the plans.
The Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce and Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce are the Designated Lead for the development of the LSIP for the SEMLEP region and are working with key partners to ensure the local voice is heard and captured.
NNBN Director Simon Cox said “It’s key that employers and businesses engage with the Local Skills Improvement Plan and voices are heard. By attending the events being organised, whether face to face or online, your feedback and what your experience can help shape the future.”
“Failing that, you can skill complete the survey and have your voice heard.”
“We see this as a way that we can, collectively, shape the future of closing the skills gaps and shortages we find in our business communities and we’re calling for you to engage in the events or survey being led by the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce.”
Project Manager for the LSIP Tony Knaggs said "I think we all recognise that having the right skills to do our job is key to us having a healthy, growing economy. The message is "get involved" and we can only do this by working with dynamic member organisations such as the NNBN who are key to getting the message out to hundreds of local businesses"
To complete the online survey visit: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/X27X8M6 or for more information on the LSIP events visit: https://www.northants-chamber.co.uk/events