New plans just released will make sure local training equips people with skills needed by local employers.
A total of 39 Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), covering the upcoming three years, have been unveiled across England, including the North East Local Skills Improvement Plan (NELSIP), which is led by Employer Representative Body, the North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA), and includes the seven local authority areas of County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.
Following engagement with more than 1,200 stakeholders, the North East Local Skills Improvement Plan (NELSIP) sets out the practical actions needed to ensure training provision aligns with business needs and addresses key regional challenges, including youth unemployment.
The NELSIP will reflect current strengths and emerging opportunities across the strategically important sectors highlighted in the North East MSA’s Local Growth Plan and the New Deal for North East Workers – all of which are vital employers and growth drivers across the North East. This includes Advanced Manufacturing; Creative Industry and Content; Defence, Security and Space; Life Science, Pharmaceutical and Process; Offshore Wind and Renewable Energy; Tech, Digital and AI; Adult Social Care; and Construction.
Paul Butler, CEO of the NEAA, the designated Employer Representative Body for the North East LSIP region, commented: “The NELSIP has been shaped through extensive collaboration between employers, colleges, universities, training providers, employer representative bodies, local authorities and regional stakeholders, ensuring that the voice of industry remains at the heart of skills planning. It focused on the key sectors that will drive the region’s future prosperity, and important foundational sectors that underpin economic and social wellbeing. It identifies the workforce challenges, skills priorities and actions required to meet current and future employer demand.
“As we move into implementation, maintaining this collaborative approach will be critical. No single organisation can address the region’s skills challenges alone; by aligning our efforts, sharing expertise and working towards common goals, we can build a more responsive skills eco system that delivers lasting benefits for businesses, individuals and the wider regional economy.”
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, said: “Everyone in the North East deserves the opportunity to gain the skills they need to build a good career and a secure future.
“That’s why we are working with employers, colleges and training providers to make sure local people can access training that leads to real jobs in growing industries, today.
“The Local Skills Improvement Plan will help ensure the training we provide reflects their needs and creates more opportunities for people across our region.”
Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills said: “For too long too many people have been locked out of opportunity, and businesses have struggled to recruit the skilled staff they need to build their workforce.
“Local leaders have a unique insight into the skills needs and opportunities in their area, which is why we are putting them in the driving seat to support their community. Our reforms, including to the Growth and Skills Levy and the Youth Guarantee, will build a workforce prepared for the demands of today as well as the jobs of tomorrow.”
Employer Representative Bodies and Strategic Authorities followed statutory guidance published last November by Skills England – which explains how key players will work together to plug local skills gaps – when developing the new LSIPs.
The plans have collaboration hard-wired into them, so actions committed to with universities, colleges and independent training providers are not just aspirational – they are mutually agreed.
LSIPs also recognise that skills devolution cannot work in isolation – as getting local skills provision right is vital for unlocking national growth. They will have an important role to play with delivering the Government’s ambition for two-thirds of young people to participate in higher level learning – either academic, technical, or an apprenticeship – by the time they are aged 25.
Catriona Lingwood, CEO at Construction Excellence North East, said: “The North East LSIP stands as a powerful testament to what can be achieved through true collaboration and partnership working. Bringing together employers, education providers, sector bodies, and regional stakeholders, we have created a skills framework that supports innovation while directly responding to the ever-changing needs of the construction sector.”
Andy Broadbent, Principal and Chief Executive at New College Durham, said: “The Local Skills Improvement Plan provides an important framework for aligning education with the current and future needs of employers across the North East. Its success will depend on genuine collaboration between education providers, industry and government, ensuring we translate intelligence into action and deliver the skills our economy needs.
“New College Durham is proud to play a leading role in that ambition as the lead organisation for one of only four Advanced Manufacturing Technical Excellence Colleges (AMTEC) in England and as the lead partner for the North East Institute of Technology (NEIoT).
“Together with employers and regional partners, we remain committed to developing the technical talent, innovation and workforce capability that will support economic growth, strengthen productivity and create life-changing opportunities for people across our region.”
Download the NELSIP Report: https://northeastautomotivealliance.com/neaa-projects/nelsip/