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Our ‘People and Work’ priorities for the King’s Speech

Our ‘People and Work’ priorities for the King’s Speech

Our ‘People and Work’ priorities for the King’s Speech

By Jane Gratton – Deputy Director of Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce

Many businesses are facing serious problems getting staff with the right skills to drive their firms forward. The BCC’s latest research showed that nearly three-quarters of firms attempting to recruit have faced difficulties.  

Solving the problem is complex and will need action by employers, education providers and the government.  That’s why business-led Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) are so important.  Already, they are making a big difference, by bringing businesses and training providers together to ensure local economies are developing a skilled workforce that will drive local economic growth.    The aim is to give business a stronger voice in local skills planning and ensure people of all ages can learn the skills that lead to great, sustainable jobs.  That’s why the King’s Speech should include a Skills Bill, that helps businesses and workers, and establishes LSIPs as integral for the long term. This will provide the stability and clarity that businesses crave from government.  

The Chamber network has been at the heart of the LSIPs revolution – helping to align everyone’s ambition and investment to boost skills and opportunities in the workforce. We helped identify the problem, through our Workplace Training and Development Commission in 2019, and proved the concept of LSIPs by delivering 8 successful trailblazers for the government. Today, 32 LSIPs in England are led by Chambers of Commerce, helping firms to plan for workforce development and forging strong partnerships between employers, training providers and a wide range of local stakeholders.   

We are helping employers come together to talk about their skills needs linked to the exciting job opportunities they are creating now and in the future. As well as creating a solid skills plan for the area, our aim is for every business to develop its own plan for investing in workforce training and development. 

The digital revolution and the journey to net-zero are creating huge changes in the workplace. LSIPs are amassing a huge amount of data on the skills employers need to adapt to these challenges. Local skills plans will enable businesses, providers and funders to offer people the right opportunities for people to train and upskill in an evolving workplace.  

Firms are telling us that LSIPs feel different, and we have raised employers hopes and expectations.  That’s hugely exciting and shows LSIPs are working, but it will take time to bring about the transformational change we need to tackle pervasive skills shortages that are holding back business and the economy.     

Business-led LSIPs must be part of the government’s long-term skills plan for the country, enabling employers and providers to work together to address skills shortages. That will ultimately boost opportunity and growth in our local economies.  

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