Secretary of State for Education approves local skills improvement plan for Kent & Medway

Plans aimed at improving the skills of workers in Kent have been approved by Gillian Keegan, the Secretary of State for Education.

Kent & Medway’s local skills improvement plan 2023 (LSIP) is one of 38 LSIPs across England led by employer representative bodies (ERBs).

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They are a Department for Education led initiative funded by Whitehall, which aim to outline an agreed set of actionable priorities that employers, providers and stakeholders can back to drive change.

Kent Invicta chamber of commerce acted as the government’s designated ERB and led on the plan.

The chamber was appointed last year by the government to be one of eight national trailblazers designed to influence the local skills agenda in partnership with the county’s Further Education colleges.

It also builds on the work of the Kent & Medway Employment Taskforce and other regional skills analysis.
Jo James OBE, chief executive of the chamber, said: "By listening to the needs of business, we can take a proactive approach with providers and stakeholders to address the day-to-day skills challenges and make a meaningful difference to the future prosperity of the region."

She added: "LSIPs have been developed as a valuable tool for improving the skills system in England, with Kent and Medway at the forefront. By working together, employers, training providers, and other stakeholders can ensure the workforce has the skills the region needs to succeed in the 21st century economy."

Simon Cook, chair of Kent Further Education and principal of MidKent College, said: "The LSIP has strengthened the collaboration between the three Kent and Medway Further Education colleges, giving us a sharper focus on the skills priorities of businesses, which is good for our students and good for local firms."

The chamber will lead the plan over the next two years, driving initiatives with the support of strategic partners across the region, including independent training providers through KATO, Higher Education institutions, the National Career Service (CXK) and the Careers Hub (The Education People) as well as the local and regional authorities and Further Education providers.

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