The North East England Chamber of Commerce receives approval for Local Skills Improvement Plans

The North East England Chamber of Commerce has received approval from the Secretary of State for stage one of its Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs).

The Chamber has been working with over 3,500 businesses in North of Tyne and Tees Valley to place employers at the heart of the skills system to take the region’s economy forward and boost opportunities for future generations.

By consulting with and articulating the skills needs of employers, the Chamber is creating a skills and training blueprint that meets the needs of businesses as well as the wider community.

Rachel Anderson, assistant director of policy at the Chamber, said: “LSIPs provide us with the opportunity to shape the future of the region’s skills and talent pipeline, so it’s excellent to have received approval from the Secretary of State for our plans.

“Over 3,500 businesses, both members and non-members, took part in a comprehensive assessment of skills requirements to ensure the correct provision is in place to meet those needs and to ensure we avoid skills gaps in the future.

“We look forward to working in partnership with our colleges, the combined authorities, and other regional stakeholders to deliver real change as we move forward to phase two of the plans and the implementation of our findings.”

Alongside the specific skills required to build new green economy, and ease the recruitment crisis in the health sector, businesses involved in the LSIPs overwhelmingly identified communication skills as a key priority, and digital skills were raised across the board.

Once approved, providers, such as colleges and private training providers, as well as funding bodies will be required to take account of the LSIPs when commissioning future courses and will be assessed by Ofsted on their adherence.

The Chamber carried out various workshops, roundtables and events to provide businesses with the opportunity to speak up and skill up during the LSIPs consultation process. The project is supported by the Department for Education.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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