It’s Learning at Work Week this week (15th – 21st May), focusing on the theme of "Create the Future." This year, Business West is celebrating 200 years of future thinking for the region; we spoke to our LSIP team about how their research supports future learning and ensures employees have the skills employers need.
The Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIP) are at the heart of UK strategy to align skills supply with skills demand, incorporating business voice at the heart of planning. Business West has been chosen to run the Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) across Swindon and Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and the West of England. We have been undertaking in-depth business engagement to start to develop a better understanding of unmet needs and put forward a strategy to develop a collaborative plan. This will help us as a region develop post-16 education and training, help our region’s learners and existing employees adapt to future needs, provide intelligence on reskilling needs and ensure we remain one the best places to work and learn in the country.
The significance of transferable skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, analysis, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation is gaining recognition in the UK. These skills have become crucial for employees to possess, as they can be applied across various roles and industries, allowing individuals to adapt to changing circumstances and excel in diverse settings.
Business West's LSIP Trailblazer gathered and reviewed in-depth conversations; on translating business needs into an understanding of skills needs. During the research, it became rapidly evident across both sectors that ‘soft’ skills were deemed important, not just as a baseline in facilitating good working practices but increasingly recognised as a set of technical skills in their own right - relating to management, customer engagement, digital skills and adaptation to rapid change - as well as a clear indication of the ongoing importance of foundational and core skills.
The WoE IoT launched a new “soft skills certificate" on the back of the LSIP trailblazer, incorporating some of the needs reported. The certificate aims to bring together employers, colleges, independent training providers and stakeholders to set out the key changes needed to make skills training more responsive to employers’ needs.
Claire Arbery, Director of West of England Institute of Technology
“The Soft Skills Certificate is important as it supports employees in the region to develop the skills that are needed to interact in changing workplaces regardless of which sector or industry the employee works in.
“The work of the LSIP was key to its development. This activity was a natural progression and a chance to further investigate and put into practice the findings from the LSIP trailblazer. We are testing employer feedback and we hope that employers will engage with the soft skills pilot to help with further development of the programme.”
The LSIP team is continuing their research in the West of England, Gloucestershire, and Swindon & Wiltshire as part of a national rollout. Unlike the trailblazer, the national rollout of LSIPs is a longer term with an initial reporting milestone of Summer 2023 and subsequently further deep dives and investigation into highlighted skills gaps until March 2025. We have released our preliminary findings, including summaries of the LSIP research so far and the employer's unmet skills needs, but we are continuing with business engagement, co-design and validation work continue throughout the project.
Download the Preliminary Findings
Carole Kitching, Principal and Chief Executive of New College Swindon and Swindon and Wiltshire Institute of Technology
“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Business West to develop and deliver a Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIPs) for our region.
“There has never been a more important time for Further and Higher Education to work hand in glove with employers to train people for the skills we need. The Swindon and Wiltshire LSIP will turbo charge our current and future relationships with employers to boost skills levels and drive the regional economy.”
Chloe Stockwell, Events and Project Manager at Business West Chambers of Commerce
“We have been running in-depth business engagements to start to develop a better understanding of unmet skills needs in our three regions and put forward a strategy to develop a regional roadmap.
“Learning at Work Week highlights the importance and benefits of continual learning and development. We want to help shape education and training provision to reflect the needs and the desires of the businesses and workforce in our area. We need to be led by business voice so please book a one-to-one discussion about key skills issues you’re facing to help inform our roadmap, reports and activities for stage two of the LSIP.”
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