Devolution And The Evolving Skills Landscape: Why Awarding Bodies Are The Missing Piece Of The Jigsaw 

As devolution reshapes England’s skills system and the second iteration of LSIPs comes into focus, attention is rightly turning to how regional ambition becomes delivery. Suzanne Slater, Commercial Director at NCFE, outlines how awarding bodies are an essential, but often overlooked, part of creating a coherent and inclusive skills ecosystem. 

As the English devolution agenda continues to reshape the adult skills system, momentum is building across regions. Providers, employers, and policymakers are all playing an active role. 

With the majority of version two of Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) due in June, attention is turning to how the system works together. The ambition is clear – regions want a skills ecosystem that is responsive, inclusive, and aligned to economic need. 

As devolution progresses, one insight is becoming increasingly clear:  awarding bodies remain underused, yet essential to the success of devolution. 

Across conversations with combined and strategic authorities, employers, local authorities and providers, it’s clear that awarding bodies represent a missing piece of the jigsaw. Without that piece in place, the picture is never complete. 

A skills system in transition 

LSIPs have already changed how regions understand employer demand and shape provision. Version two will sharpen this further. It will reflect shifts in labour markets, evolving economic priorities, and changing expectations of a future‑ready skills system. 

As regions move from planning into delivery, new challenges emerge. Designing provision, commissioning programmes, and aligning curriculum all demand coherence and quality. 

This is where awarding bodies can add real value, supporting regions to translate ambition into high-quality, coherent provision that meets employer demand, while remaining accessible and credible for learners. 

The strategic role of awarding bodies in a devolved model 

Awarding bodies offer something uniquely powerful,  they combine national consistency with local responsiveness. 

In a devolved system, learners need confidence that what they achieve in one region holds value in another. Employers need assurance that qualifications and learning reflect current, real‑world skills. Providers need alignment between employer demand and high quality, recognised standards. 

Awarding bodies are the bridge that makes this possible. They support the system by ensuring: 

• quality and validity, so that learning is credible and robust 

• the portability of qualifications, so that achievement holds value wherever learners progress 

• national comparability, avoiding fragmentation across regions 

• clear progression pathways, which support employability and lifelong learning 

• assessment expertise, helping learners to succeed and employers to access skilled talent. 

Too often, involvement with awarding bodies is seen as transactional; the focus narrows to certificates and compliance. In reality, awarding bodies hold deep, system‑wide insight that can strengthen every stage of skills planning and delivery. 

Why awarding bodies matter to LSIP version two 

As LSIP version two approaches, regions are increasingly seeking clarity about what comes next, at a time when sector priorities are shifting, employer needs are diversifying, and demand for digital, green, and AI‑related skills continue to grow. 

However, despite this momentum, long-standing barriers to adult progression remain stubborn, raising important questions about how insight is translated into practical, inclusive action at a regional level. 

In this context, awarding bodies can play a critical role in helping regions move from evidence to impact. Their data on qualification trends, learner profiles, attainment, and sector uptake provides a rich source intelligence which, when used effectively, can strengthen regional decision‑making and shape more responsive curriculum design and improve outcomes. 

When awarding bodies are involved earlier and more consistently, regions can: 

• improve the quality and relevance of provision 

• identify gaps in learner pathways 

• co‑design solutions where demand outstrips supply 

• strengthen progression and employability outcomes 

• reduce duplication and improve value for money. 

What is clear from practice is that strategic collaboration directly leads to better outcomes for learners. 

Completing the picture through collaboration 

Devolution offers a powerful opportunity, allowing regions to build skills systems shaped by people, place, and employers. But success depends on partnership – every critical voice must be at the table. 

Awarding bodies are not an optional extra; they are the connective tissue that holds the system together. They protect quality, support innovation, and create progression routes learners can trust. 

As regional skills needs are published, now is the moment to collaborate, co‑design and connect the system fully. Only then will the jigsaw be complete. 

By Suzanne Slater, Commercial Director at NCFE