What is the LSIP?
Local Skills Improvement Plans are designed to set out the key changes needed in a local area to make technical skills training more responsive to employers’ needs.
LSIPs will:
- Place employers at the heart of local skills systems.
- Facilitate direct and dynamic working arrangements between employers and providers.
- Provide an agreed set of actionable priorities that employers, providers and stakeholders in a local area can get behind to drive change.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is funded by the Department for Education and independently led by Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce.
With support from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority – the LSIP represents an exciting approach to addressing skills gaps and identifying best practice in the region.
Click here for Department for Education information on LSIPs.
In the first stage of the Local Skills Improvement Plan, Cambridgeshire Chambers were tasked with:
Engaging the region
Recognising the valuable input different kinds of stakeholders can offer, Cambridgeshire Chambers opened our LSIP events and skills survey to everyone in the region.
From individuals who could share their experience of understanding the skills they need for their careers; to the views of small employers looking to recruit and expand their business.
Alongside talking directly to employers, local government representatives and third sector organisations, we have formed strong groups of stakeholders, including:
- Education providers.
- Business representative organisations (who bring the views of thousands of businesses within the region).
- LSIP Advisory Group (including representatives from employers, education providers and third sector organisations).
Spreading the word
A vital part of the project is to ensure the skills challenges faced by employers of all shapes and sizes are captured.
To raise awareness of the project and encourage participation, Cambridgeshire Chambers promoted the opportunity for employers to contribute to the LSIP at events across the region. Including:
- Cambridgeshire United and Peterborough United football matches
- Informal networking events
- Skill conferences
- Business fairs
- Careers fairs
Starting the conversation
To allow everyone the opportunity to contribute, we created an online skills survey and also gathered insights via paper surveys at in person events. To date we have insights from more than 250 responses.
We also held 12 events, which were ran across the region, in order to bring together the views of all kinds of stakeholders. Through this, more than 135 attendees shared their insights on the region’s skills needs, best practice and challenges.
Project update video (April 2023):
