Barry recently joined the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) team at Business West as a Business Skills Advisor. He has a wealth of experience speaking to businesses across the region about their skills needs, and will be the host of our new Skills Clinics – where businesses can have the chance to discuss their workforce needs, receive tailored recommendations for their businesses and feed into the LSIP for their region. 

We caught up with Barry to learn more about his new role and what his perfect Sunday would be.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your career background

I’ve worked in the Skills Team at Business West for seven years as a Business Skills Advisor, working on many public service skills projects. I’ve taken on some specialist lead project roles in Health, Social Care and Life Sciences plus Distribution, but I’ve been lucky enough to work across many sectors and with many different businesses, including Construction, Engineering and Professional Services, for example. 

My early background and career are rooted in sports and active leisure. From my 20’s I worked as a successful community Tennis Coach and Youth Sports Trust Trainer, and was then employed by the Lawn Tennis Association as Regional Manager in Avon & Gloucestershire. This is where I began my interest in vocational skills and training, having developed in-house apprenticeship schemes for coaches and support roles. From here, I moved to a role at Skills Active, the Sector Skills Council (SSC) and National Skills Academy (NSA) for sport and active leisure, as the South West Regional Manager developing workforces within that wide sector. Spells with the UK apprenticeship agency followed as a National Skills broker, which gave me insights into many more cross sectors. Then, taking on some consultant roles and a rewarding project manager position with a homeless charity, sourcing skills, training, and job opportunities with employers for care leavers before joining Business West in 2017.

What is your current role at Business West?

Currently, I’m pleased to have taken up a role with the amazing LSIP team as the project Business Skills Advisor. The role primarily focuses on skills and workforce development planning, with the flexibility to respond to demand and regional priorities relevant to workforce needs, helping to assist businesses to navigate a sometimes-complicated skills landscape and supporting them to develop their skills and training strategies. 

Additionally, making sure there is key collaboration in working with stakeholder delivery partners to engage with education and regional/national skills initiatives and having the opportunity to facilitate a dialogue to look for solutions and their potential implementation.

What are the 3 key aims of your day-to-day work?

The whole objective for the LSIP is to bring employers, higher education, further education, independent training providers, and other stakeholders together to contribute to discussing key changes, new directions, or support to existing improvements to technical skills and training. 

Looking at my top three aims day to day, I would have to say they are: 

1. Plan and offer different opportunities for employers to engage and contribute to the LSIP.
2. Constantly speak to lots of people providing responses and help for businesses to navigate, understand and access local and regional opportunities to develop their workforce ambitions. 
3. Support the LSIP team with all their remits to contribute to the overall project strategies.
   
   

What help and skills support are your team able to offer businesses as part of your role?

I work with 11 wonderful colleagues within the LSIP team each with a specific role which all contribute to the objectives for the project.

The Local Skills Improvement Plan is a research project but it’s important that businesses feel valued for their input and the team is set up to do just that. Our business engagement specialists are always on hand to meet with organisations through facilitated events or one-to-one interaction, gaining valuable information and discussing and directing them to opportunities and further help. This also informs our research team who collate and provide up to date information which is shared throughout the regions and sectors involved. With marketing, events, project management and skills planning colleagues, we really do have a wrap-around support for businesses whilst informing the project data and outcomes for future post-16 education and training. 

Why do you think businesses should get involved with the LSIP?

Employers have an opportunity to help, influence and shape the future skills in their business, their sector, and their region. Whilst voicing their own concerns, needs and ideas they are contributing hugely to the future provision. Additionally, they are able to come together with more businesses and their people to network, make contacts, hear good practices and see they are not alone but, moreover, can feel part of a focused group and initiative. All this and individually receiving some key strategic support for their organisation's workforce makes being involved so worthwhile.

Tell us about your perfect Sunday – what would it involve?

Lots of outdoors if possible, making use of the whole day. I love all our seasons (even if they are changing) walks, finding new places to visit, sport, sharing time with friends and family with food and a beer all incorporated would be ideal. Here’s to a healthy 2024 and beyond!

We are excited to announce the launch of our brand new Skills Clinics, which Barry will be running. As part of the Local Skills Improvement Plan, he will be visiting various venues, offices and coworking spaces during February and March and is offering 45 minute face-to-face meetings with businesses in the region at these spaces.

Don’t miss this chance to discuss your current and future workforce needs, get connected with local and national training providers and feed into the future skills strategy for the region.