Developing a Workforce

How businesses will benefit from the Skills Advisory Panel

The skills system is evolving and responsibility is changing, which means both individuals and employers will need to invest more in skills and think more innovatively about their future needs and their responsibility.

The Skills Advisory Panel’s aim is to make sure there’s a local pool of talent, trained and ready to support future business needs.

Current projects the panel is focusing on supporting,

  • Schools and businesses in working together to raise aspirations to make sure young people are equipped to work in business and achieve their ambitions,
  • The growth of quality Apprenticeship opportunities which will be vital in attracting and retaining a highly skilled workforce,
  • Further Education skills providers and business in working together so that people can access jobs and training and to upskill and reskill the workforce,
  • Higher Education providers and business in working together to ensure we have more higher level (i.e. up to Level 5 and beyond) and technical skills for our advanced industries and occupations,
  • Businesses to access skills information from a single access point.

The outcomes for the SAP are:

  1. Absolute increase in the number of people in employment, particularly in the priority growth sectors.
  2. Growth in productivity as people and businesses have the right skills and the opportunities to use them in work.

The ambition and priorities for the SAP over the next five years are to:

  • Support the creation of 50,000 jobs,
  • Create 80,000 apprenticeship starts,
  • Raise aspirations and focus on local opportunities for growth and prosperity in key local growth sectors