Working to improve the provision of essential skills in the workforce.

Set up to support delivery of the region’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), Skills West Midlands and Warwickshire is bringing employers and training providers together to reshape the region’s technical skills system. Our role is to foster greater collaboration between local enterprise and the education sector, raising awareness of the training support readily available to businesses from further education institutions and aligning skills provision more closely with the real needs of employers.

During the employer consultation stage of the LSIP, a process which involved over a thousand local businesses, one of the main barriers to the right skills and training was identified as a lack of awareness among employers regarding the support available from further education providers.

By bringing together training providers from across the region in a single place, we aim to simplify the process of finding training programmes for staff, providing a platform for employers to browse different options and communicate directly with providers to learn more about their services.

With reviews and case studies available for each training provider, businesses can make the most informed purchasing decision, ensuring expectations are met with high-quality training that delivers the skills needed to grow, innovate and thrive.

Drawing on the insights of local employers, we are working as further education training providers to make the technical skills system more responsive to the needs of local businesses.

For each of priority area identified by the LSIP, we are using employee feedback to improve both the content and delivery of skills initiatives so that businesses can get the most value out of staff training and address the gaps that are holding them back.

Our role is to facilitate ongoing dialogue and knowledge transfer between local businesses and training providers, working towards a skills system that is more agile, collaborative and adaptable to changes in local skill needs.

Identify local skill needs

Consult with employers to pinpoint the skills most needed to support local growth.

Tailor skills provision

Work with training providers to ensure skills initiatives are aligned to local needs.

Support individual learners

Help learners gain the skills they need to get good jobs and improve prospects.

Support environmental goals

Develop skills needed for jobs that contribute to net-zero targets and climate adaptation.

Drive economic growth

Give a boost to the local economy by helping businesses tackle skills shortages.

Respond to changes in demand

Regularly review the skills system to ensure it meets changes in local skill needs.