Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) – What is an LSIP?

The skills for jobs white paper set out the government’s blueprint for reshaping the technical skills system to better meet the needs of employers and the wider economy.

As part of this new approach, the Department for Education has introduced local skills improvement plans (LSIPs) and a strategic development fund (SDF).

Local skills improvement plans

LSIPs will provide an agreed set of actionable priorities that employers, providers and stakeholders in a local area can get behind to drive change.

LSIPs will:

• place employers at the heart of local skills systems

• facilitate direct and dynamic working arrangements between employers and providers

Employer representative bodies have been designated to lead the development of LSIPs for all 38 areas of England.

The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire LSIP is led by Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce.

• As designated Employer Representative Body for Stoke and Staffordshire LSIP, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce  will;

• Plan the work to develop and review the LSIP

• Engage with employers, providers and other stakeholders including the Stoke and Staffs Careers Hub

• convene providers and employers so they have meaningful discussion which lead to identification and prioritisation of skills needs with development of actionable solutions.

• work with a wide range of stakeholders.

• produce the LSIP report and submit it to the DfE for approval and publication

• support and review the plan to ensure it remains relevant to the area’s needs.

LSIP’s aim to set out how “local provision needs to change to help people know and develop the skills they need to get good jobs and increase their prospects”. An important aspect of this is  improving prospective learners’ awareness and understanding of shifting employer and industry needs and how local technical education provision is adapting. The Stoke Staffs Careers Hub will connect the insight of the LSIP to these learners, and vice versa, through the expertise of those who are best placed to promote the change directly to learners and educational institutions.