Sussex Chamber proud to have been appointed as a Trailblazer and Pilot for the Skills Accelerator Programme

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) welcome the Chamber involvement in trailblazing local skills improvement plans.

Reacting to the news that eight Accredited Chambers of Commerce will be leading the pilots for the new local skills improvement plans (LSIPs), Hannah Essex, Co-Executive Director of the BCC, said:

“It is great news that Accredited Chambers will be leading all eight of the trailblazer LSIPs as part of the Skills Accelerator programme. Rooted in local business communities, chambers will be keen to embrace the views of all those committed to making skills the key to improving life chances and economic growth.

“Chambers look forward to working collaboratively with business communities, education and training providers and a wide range of other interested parties to identify what more can be done to improve the development of skills in their regions, for the benefit of individuals, businesses and the economy.

“A recent independent report commissioned by the BCC established that it’s vital that business and the skills system work together to ensure people are training for genuine, well paid career opportunities that exist in their local areas.

“LSIPs will help transform how we assess, agree and plan for skills provision and, in time, tackle the pervasive skills shortages that put a brake on business productivity and growth.

“The Prime Minister spoke earlier about levelling up which is a key part of the BCC’s Rebuild strategy for the economy as we emerge from the pandemic. Plugging the skills gap, both in terms of geography and within industries, is key to providing opportunities for people and ensuring that everyone has the chance to find quality, sustainable jobs.”

The eight Accredited Chambers of Commerce that will be leading LSIPs are Cumbria, North-East England (Teesside), Doncaster (South Yorkshire), North and West Lancashire, East Midlands (Leicestershire & Leicester), Business West (Greater West of England), Kent Invicta and Sussex.

Department for Education – Skills Training Boosted Across the Country 

Further measures to boost the nation’s skills, level up opportunities and get more people into better paid jobs have been announced.

The measures come after the Prime Minister delivered his levelling up speech, where he underlined the need to escalate the value of practical and vocational education through the lifetime skills guarantee, which will boost skills and open up opportunities for more people at every stage of their lives.

The Government’s successful Skills Bootcamp training programmes will be expanded to every region of the country, offering an extra 16,000 fully funded places for adults to upskill or retrain. 

 The expansion covers a range of digital and technical training including in green skills, such as solar energy installation, sustainable agriculture, nuclear energy, and green transport, along with coding and software development, so more adults have the opportunity to access the skills and training they need that leads directly to a job.

A consultation has been launched on the future of the National Skills Fund, which has already supported thousands adults to upskill and retrain through Skills Bootcamps, and access to almost 400 free courses through the Free Courses for Jobs programme. 

The consultation will ask for views on how the fund should be adapted for the future, so it continues to meet the future skills needs of individuals and employers, levelling up opportunities across the country. 

Eighteen areas across the country will also be the first to lead work to build stronger partnerships between local employer groups, colleges and other providers through the Skills Accelerator programme, so the training on offer meets the need of local communities and fills skills gaps in key sectors of the economy including construction, digital, clean energy and manufacturing. This will mean more people can get the training needed to secure great jobs close to home. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-accelerator-trailblazers-and-pilots

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

“No matter where you are from, everyone should have the chance to get the skills needed to get a good job – whether that’s to launch a new career or upskill in their industry.  We have put skills right at the heart of our ambitious reforms, to make sure we can build back better from the pandemic, empowering people to get the skills they need to build the life they want.  Today marks the next vital step in our mission to level up opportunities by investing in skills, investing in lifelong learning and investing in communities so that people can thrive and prosper – wherever they live.” 

In January the government set out vital reforms to post-16 education and training in the Skills for Jobs White Paper, which will ensure everyone no matter where they live can gain the skills they need to progress and secure a great career at any stage of their life.  

The measures announced build on the work already underway to transform further and technical education, including the roll out of new T Levels, working with employers to create more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities, establishing a system of Higher Technical Education and a network of Institutes of Technology, backed by up to £290 million. 

Next Steps

Over the coming months, Sussex Chamber will engage with business, local authorities, local enterprise partnerships, colleges, universities, training providers, town chambers and business organisations, skills groups, as well as other key stakeholders to carry out in-depth research to understand the local skills needs (through a mix of quantitative and qualitative data research), identify and understand root causes and enablers, and develop a roadmap for change. 

This will be your opportunity to help shape an employer-led and locally owned skills improvement plan. Further details will be announced shortly, however should you have any questions in the meantime, please email skills@sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk