Dorset Chamber has published the second Dorset Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) Progress Report.
It demonstrates how stakeholders have taken significant action to meet the changing skills needs of local employers in the last year and the progress of the ‘Dorset Skills’ community, which includes education and training providers.
The Local Skills Improvement Plan was published in August 2023. The latest update report highlights the progress made across the post-16 technical education, training and employment landscape in Dorset to engage more people in work with relevant skills and to develop the skills of the established workforce.
It shows how collaborative ways of working and targeted approaches to funding are influencing curriculum plans and local government policy and enabling employer best practice.
Despite the economic climate and local governance changes, it demonstrates how employers and providers across Dorset are committed to growth and improving opportunities for their workers and students.
Highlights include Dorset employers:
- Accessing and benefiting from more free and funded training to upskill their teams including skills bootcamps, green construction, net zero and digital programmes
- Working more closely with education providers to shape curriculums to make them current, relevant and responsive to the needs of the modern workplace
- Creating and supporting opportunities for young people to experience and explore the world of work, creating talent pipelines
- Attracting a more diverse workforce to meet hiring needs, through more inclusive approaches to SEND and flexible working
The report also focusses on key priorities for the next phase of the plan, currently underway, including:
- Supporting employers to improve digital skills – from core digital skills like Excel and email to AI, coding and automation
- Opportunities to improve employer understanding of free and funded training available to upskill people and how to access it
- Collaborative approaches to addressing skills shortages and vacancies in key sectors such as construction and care
- Helping businesses to become more inclusive with their hiring practices
Dorset Chamber chief executive Ian Girling said: “Dorset Skills is an all-age strategic change programme creating business growth with training.
“We have built a team of top skills and stakeholder engagement experts who have worked with a wide range of willing partners to create a vibrant and focused Dorset Skills community.
“All of us are passionate about the Dorset economy and community, adapting our processes and curriculums to better meet the changing needs of employers and the workplace.”
The Dorset Skills community comprises three universities, two further education (FE) colleges, adult education providers, specialist education and training providers, the Careers Hub, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), local authorities, third sector and other ‘people’ partners and employers.
The next round of LSIP development is due to begin in Autumn 2025 for another three years.
Ian said: “This is good news at it will allow for the continued evolution of a focused Dorset Skills system.
“Creating a pipeline of passionate and skilled young people who want to stay and work in Dorset and developing the current workforce so people can work and are well for longer, rightly remains a national priority.
“We are excited by the achievements reported from across Dorset so far and look forward to the next three years leading and driving change.”
Nicola Newman, project lead for Dorset LSIP, said: “The collaborative approach of the programme is successfully unlocking opportunities for employers, learners and providers alike. We are no longer just identifying skills gaps, we are actively closing them.”
Picture from left to right are LSIP project lead Nicola Newman, Dorset Chamber chief executive Ian Girling, Joanna Mills from Nationwide, Bournemouth and Poole College principal Phil Sayles and David Burnet from INVIDAR
With around 100 members any business in Dorset can join Dorchester Chamber from business for £60p/a (no VAT).
