Local Skills Improvement Plan

Somerset LSIP

The Somerset Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is led by Business West Chambers of Commerce and funded by UK government.

From 1st October 2025, Business West Chambers of Commerce and Somerset Chamber of Commerce began working together to plan and deliver the new Somerset Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).

The Devon and Somerset LSIP is delivered by Devon Chamber of Commerce and Somerset Chamber of Commerce. Until the new Somerset LSIP is formally published in 2026, the current arrangements remain in place and existing commitments continue as normal. 

What is a Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)?

A Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is a research project that aims to align post-16 technical education and training with the needs of local employers.

Developed by Employer Representative Bodies (ERBs), such as Business West, LSIPs gather research on business needs and set actionable priorities.

These priorities aim to enhance collaboration between employers, education, training providers, and stakeholders to better prepare employees for the workforce.

Business West works in partnership with Somerset Chamber of Commerce to deliver the Local Skills Improvement Plan for Somerset, which aims to:

  • Bring employers, colleges, independent training providers, and other local stakeholders together.
  • Set out the key changes needed to make technical skills training more responsive to employers’ skills needs.
  • Tailor education and training provision to the challenges and opportunities most relevant to the local area.
  • Address learner demand and make meaningful collaborative change.

How can I get involved?

We'd love to speak to you. Your views are vital to our research and will help shape the skills agenda moving forward. You can get involved by:

Some of the themes we'd like to get your views on include:

  • Core and Digital Skills 
  • Upskilling and Reskilling  
  • New Entrants and Gen Z
  • Green Skills 

Who can get involved?

We want to speak to a representative from any size business located in Somerset based in the following sectors:

  • Agri-food and Land Stewardship 
  • Creative Industries 
  • Cultural and Visitor Economy 
  • Low Carbon Energy 
  • High Value Manufacturing (FoodBev, Aerospace and Defence) 
  • Digital & Data 
  • Construction & Built Environment 
  • Transport & Logistics 
  • Business, Financial and Professional Services 
  • Health and Social Care 

Further Education and Post-16 Technical Education Providers

We want to speak to further education, and post-16 technical education providers, (including independent training providers and sixth form colleges) based in Gloucestershire who offer courses in any of the above sectors. 

Hartpury University and Hartpury College welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively on the development of the LSIP. Hartpury places great emphasis on employer liaison to ensure alignment of provision with current and emerging skills and labour gaps. As such, this piece of work is more important than ever given the evolving economy and associated challenges that lie ahead.

Andy Collop

Vice-Chancellor, Principal & CEO, Hartpury University and Hartpury College

LOCAL SKILLS IMPROVEMENT PLAN

Resources

For all our reports, resources, webinar recordings and case studies, please visit our resources page.