COVENTRY and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce are one of three West Midlands chambers to be selected by the Department of Education to lead on the West Midlands Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).
They will be working alongside the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and the Black Country Chamber of Commerce in what is being called a “game-changing shift” to help solve the skills crisis.
Designed by the government, LSIP’s will look to put employers at the centre of their regions’ skills system while building stronger partnerships between employers and education providers.
The chambers will now conduct a detailed research exercise including online surveys, roundtable events, phone calls and one-to-one meetings with employers.
This research will go beyond those who are chamber members to include businesses associated with other representative organisations and companies that aren’t members of a business body.
This will be compiled into a report that identifies employers’ needs and will set out a plan to work with education and skills providers to deliver on this.
This report will remain live so changing needs are identified and addressed.
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Corin Crane said: “This is a game-changing shift in the way we look at the skills need of the economy as it will put employers in the region at the centre of what is required and what is delivered.
“It’s vital that the report isn’t a static, one-off piece of work. It will remain live because everyone in business knows the skills need evolves and can change quickly and the plan must be able to respond to that.”
