Together we can make a difference Improvement

John Woodruffe, (LSIP Project Manager), said:

“I am pleased to announce we held our first steering committee meeting during October, chaired by Rob Hill, who sits on our Chamber’s board and is Director of Innovation and Commercialisation at Rothamsted. The event was attended by colleagues from FE colleges, the University of Hertfordshire, DWP and Herts County Council. The ideas flowed and the enthusiasm and the energy to drive LSIP forward in the coming months was palpable.”

“We are still waiting on approval from the Department for Education to the plans submitted by the FE colleges, which are closely aligned to the LSIP. These are under the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) and dovetail into our ten priority LSIP sectors. Once approved we will be working closely with the colleges in actively promoting and supporting their various events. In addition, in the coming weeks, we will be hosting various events around the county and would, of course, welcome as much participation as possible. Together I am certain we can all make a difference.”

As a quick reminder the 10 priority sectors are:

• Advanced Engineering and manufacturing

• Community (incl. charity, health and social care)

• Creative Industries

• Digital, IT and Technology

• Hospitality and Tourism

• Life Sciences

• Logistics

• Professional Services

• Property and Construction

• Sustainability

In advance of the forthcoming events, many of which will be sector focussed, the Chamber is urging attendees to read the LSIP report.

Key highlights from LSIP Phase 1, include:

• 86% of employers likely to take action to upskill staff in the following 12 months.

• 70% likely to engage with external training providers to upskill their staff in the following 12 months.

• One in five employers reported that, in 12 months prior to COVID-19, they had a hard job to fill a vacancy – the most common cited reason was perceived applicant quality (sub-optimal skills, attitude or motivation for the job).

• Employers predicted that in the following three to five years they would need greater numbers of staff with digital and technical/ practical skills.

• Apprenticeships – 47% of employers were considering taking an apprentice in the near future, but there were widespread reservations to overcome i.e. candidate quality, reassuring employers who had had a poor previous experience.

• 17% of employers said they would be likely to support employees to undertake a higher qualification in the next three years –however, in many cases cost and time was a significant barrier.

The Chamber’s main objectives include encouraging employers to talk with the FE colleges and Independent training providers, confirming the courses students are undertaking are both up to date and relevant, and ensuring people are coming into the workforce with the relevant skills required, which is a win-win situation for all.

To get involved, visit https://www.hertschamber.com/lsip