Creating A Blueprint For LSIPs To Align Skills Supply and Demand

A new Gatsby-commissioned report sets out how a Local Skills Improvement Plan can be structured to improve the alignment of skills supply with employer needs.

The first Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) were published by designated Employer Representative Bodies (ERBs) in 2023. These plans marked a significant step toward giving employers a stronger voice in shaping technical education and training provision at the local level.

During 2022 to 2024, Gatsby commissioned public policy consultancy Think to offer support for the development of these early plans, including facilitating workshops, undertaking detailed reviews of all published LSIP reports, and wide-ranging consultation to draw out best practice and identify obstacles. This programme of support aimed to build capacity among ERBs and generate insights that would strengthen future iterations of LSIPs.

Learning From Working With Employer Representative Bodies (ERBs)

Learning from this experience of working with ERBs, this new report describes a model skills plan, with a particular focus on how LSIP reports can support shaping of publicly-funded technical education for their place.

The model skills plan, set out in today’s report, focuses on:

• Area and economy – establishing a clear sense of place
• Skills shortages, gaps and priorities – analysis to identify skills needs
• Delivering on priorities – a roadmap for action setting out clear ambition and responsibilities

Jenifer Burden MBE, Director of Programmes, Gatsby Charitable Foundation said:
“It is well-recognised that strong collaboration is vital for coherent planning for skills provision to meet local and national needs. Alongside analysis of place, skills shortages, gaps and priorities, local skills plans must also support implementation. Drawing on learning from experiences of development and implementation of the first LSIPs, this report describes how a local skills plan can be structured to improve alignment between the supply of skills and employer needs. We also highlight how governance, data-sharing, and coordinated stakeholder engagement can further strengthen these plans.”

“Gatsby has a long-standing commitment to supporting high-quality technical education that meets the evolving needs of employers and communities. By offering a clear and structured model, we aim to equip ERBs and partners with a practical tool to plan effectively and collaboratively. We believe that locally tailored skills plans, built on strong evidence and shared ambition, are essential for delivering opportunity and prosperity across regions” she added.

The report’s author James Farr from Think said: “We hope the model local skills plan that we have developed helps ERBs, providers, local and strategic authorities to create and implement high quality local skills plans that play a key role in driving growth in our local economies.”