The Lancashire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) report has been approved by government – paving the way for more understanding into recruitment and provision in the county.
Following an insightful nine months of discussion and debate, the LSIP will now continue into its next phase which will attempt to see further collaboration between Lancashire’s employers and education providers.
East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce is urging Chamber members and East Lancashire firms to get involved and share their business needs, experiences, concerns and skills gaps to further provision in our local boroughs.
The report is now available to view here.
Work on the LSIP has continued behind the scenes during the summer and will commence again in September, working with employers who have already engaged with the process and reaching out to others, as well as involving all further and higher education providers and skills organisations.
LSIPs were introduced in response to business requests for a louder voice in what skills provision is available locally. The opinions of East Lancashire’s business community are vital in bringing about further support and funding to our region.
The primary purpose of LSIPs is to place employers right at the heart of local skills planning – with support from their local Chamber along the way.
The project will now look to embed the findings of the report into the education system and focus on further collaboration with employers – as well as developing the roadmap for change with employers, providers, and stakeholders.
The Lancashire LSIP is led by the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce in partnership with East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and supported by Lancaster Chamber.
Key skills and occupation shortages have been highlighted by employers to the Chamber’s research team and these findings have already helped shape provider planning and direct how funding streams are spent across the county.
New funding is due to come in through a Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) which will give collaboration of providers dedicated investment to deal with the needs of employers through the LSIP.
Miranda Barker OBE, CEO of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, commented:
“The LSIP is a vital tool to bring the needs of the businesses across Lancashire and the local training and skills provision closer.
“This is essential to support our businesses in driving forward the Lancashire economy into new, exciting sectors and specialisms where we can excel in the future.”
Geoff Mason, project lead on the LSIP, said:
“The LSIP has had a positive impact on engaging with both employers and the education system and following the publication of the report we can now put in place the next stage of the plan.
“This will involve greater debate and discussion with employers who are already engaged and reaching out to other businesses who have issues with skills and recruitment. The LSIP is already proving to be a vital cog in the skills system.”
Babs Murphy, chief executive of the NWLCC, added:
“It’s very positive news that the LSIP report and roadmap has been published and, as a Chamber, we are delighted to have been able to give businesses a voice in this debate.
“For many years, skills and recruitment provision have been a big issue in Lancashire and the LSIP findings have shown just how wide the gap in provision is.
“There is no magic wand which can sort this issue out but as long as we can continue to give a platform for our members to express their issues, then the LSIP will continue to support their needs.”
For more news, click here.
