From education to employment

Additional funding for Skills Advisory Panels to play a key role in making sure every community can access the skills they need

The Secretary of State @GavinWilliamson responds to the additional funding being provided to Skills Advisory Panels (SAPs):

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

“Skills Advisory Panels (SAPs) – local partnerships between employers, local authorities and training providers – will play a key role in our drive to make sure every community can access the skills they need.

“That’s why we are providing an additional £75,000 so each SAP can go further in identifying local skills gaps, take action to address them as well as providing evidence to support the Skills and Productivity Board when it is established later this year.”

36 SAPs have been established across the country. All SAPs were provided with £75k funding in March 2019 to increase their local analytical capabilities sustainably to help them better understand their current and future skills needs and labour market challenges.

A list of all 36 SAPs which received funding is published here.

Each SAP will receive an additional £75,000 which will be used to produce action plans and a local Skills Report, which will highlight how they have supported local providers and employers to address local skills priorities.

Skills Advisory Panels (SAPs) will help Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), the Greater London Authority (GLA) and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) fulfil their local leadership role in the skills system. SAPs bring together employers, local authorities, universities, colleges and other training providers to:

  • work together to pool their knowledge and expertise
  • decide what skills are really needed across a sub-region

This will help ensure we match training to the jobs available in the local area.

This funding is to support each of the 36 SAPs to:

  • increase their local analytical capabilities sustainably
  • understand better their current and future skills needs and labour market challenges

A key part entails embedding the Skills Advisory Panels analytical toolkit to build robust evidence on local skills needs, wider labour market challenges and priorities, to inform their local skills agenda.


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