Putting employers at the heart of the skills system

Surrey Chambers of Commerce has been designated as the Employer Representative Body (ERB) to create a Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) covering Surrey, funded by the Department for Education.

LSIPs are designed to put employers at the heart of the skills system and ensure that local businesses’ voices are heard to help influence and shape local skills and training provision. It is the first time we have had access to resources that will allow us to reach out into the business community and amplify the voices of employers and sectors that struggle the most to be heard. We will work collaboratively to articulate the needs of local businesses and set out the key priorities and actions needed to ensure the local skills system is more responsive to their needs.

Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIP) are developed by an employer representative body (ERB) for a specified area. They draw on the views of employers operating within the specified area, and any other evidence, to summarise the skills, capabilities or expertise that are, or may in the future be, required in the specified area. They identify actions that relevant providers can take regarding any English-funded post-16 technical education or training that they provide to address the requirements mentioned.

Whilst all post-16 technical education or training is in scope, an LSIP is not intended to be a comprehensive anthology of all skills gaps in the area. It will be for employers through the designated ERB to identify the most pressing skills issues informed by local economic strategies and employment and skills plans.