Why employer partnerships are no longer enough to tackle the skills crisis

By Louise Wolsey, Group Chief Strategy Officer, London &

South East Education

So, at first glance, the introduction of LSIPs (Local Skills Improvement Plans) is not revolutionary in terms of employer-educator partnerships. Arguably, they’re just another take on encouraging organisations to work together, with the aim of getting more people into good jobs.

But having become fully immersed in developing the LSIF (Local Skills Improvement Fund) bid for the Local London region over the summer (which is our response to the LSIP), it’s clear that meeting the challenge of the skills crisis requires more than that.

What we have realised and learned through the LSIF process is just how much more can be achieved when working collaboratively with other colleges, HEIs, training providers and local authorities – as opposed to just linking up with employers.

Crucially, every organisation involved in this work has the same aim. We all want to meet employers’ skills demand, open up great local job opportunities for people in our communities and help support a thriving economy.

This goes beyond just working with employers. This is about breaking down barriers - including any concern about ‘competition’ between colleges. It is about working as a regional collective to maximise the funding available and develop effective proposals that will achieve the greatest possible impact for local people.

Group

By joining up with 12 other FE colleges across the Local London region, three universities, adult education providers, local authorities and many employers – we have been able to collectively design an approach that will address green and digital skills gaps across our whole region.

This process has not been straightforward. It has taken time and, most importantly, has required genuine drive and commitment from every partner to make it work.

But the skills crisis is not going away. We need to create a system that can operate with greater agility to meet the rapidly changing needs of the workforce. This isn't just about qualifications; it's about training people in the way that employers need, to respond to their ever-changing operating environment.

Our focus on digital and green skills is just one example, but the picture is the same across multiple industry sectors.

Colleges are expert collaborators; we understand the needs of our students and we can adapt and flex to meet the needs of businesses. But discrete college-employer partnerships alone are no longer enough to close the rapidly expanding skills gap.

Genuine engagement with stakeholders across the whole skills ecosystem – including local authorities, funding agencies and all types of education providers – is crucial if we are to develop, create and sustain long-term solutions and secure the necessary funding.

What’s more, by creating this collaboration blueprint, we will have a far greater ability to influence and shape policy moving forward.

The Local London LSIF is proof that there is strength in numbers and shows just how much impact can be achieved when people are committed to achieving a shared aim.

This article was first published in FE Week on 22 September 2023 Employer partnerships alone won't solve the skills crisis (feweek.co.uk)