Buckinghamshire Business First and Buckinghamshire College Group are delighted to announce that the Department for Education has awarded Local Skills Improvement Funding (LSIF) for Buckinghamshire to more closely align local training with local skills needs and support more people into jobs.
The investment is being targeted to address the specific skills needs in priority sectors identified in the Local Skills Improvement Plan for Buckinghamshire (LSIP) which was published by Buckinghamshire Business First in July this year.
Buckinghamshire College Group, in collaboration with partners, will use the LSIF to train more apprentices and students in renewable technologies, introduce local Engineering training provision and create an immersive health simulation suite. Buckinghamshire Business First will use the LSIF to develop a bespoke skills brokerage solution for businesses across Buckinghamshire and Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy will use the LSIF to pilot an innovative volunteer skills record.
John Browning, Local Skills Improvement Plan Manager, said:
“Buckinghamshire Business First has led the research and development of the LSIP in Buckinghamshire, having been chosen by the government as the official Employer Representative Body for skills in our county.
“We have worked closely with employers, sector-specific focus groups, education and training providers, representatives from Buckinghamshire Council, and our local Members of Parliament, to establish the specific skills priorities for Buckinghamshire. Businesses are now better placed to understand how their workforce needs to be shaped in order to deliver on their business plans and goals.”
Jenny Craig, Principal and CEO of Buckinghamshire College Group, said:
“We are delighted to be leading on the Local Skills Improvement Fund for Buckinghamshire. The investment supports the introduction, expansion and upgrading of resources for construction, renewable technologies, engineering and health and social care which is needed to address the short and long term skills requirements of employers linked to key priority sectors.
“The investment will ensure that our students and apprentices are able to develop future focused skills in industry standard learning environments and we will work closely with employers to ensure that skills solutions are co-created and deliver for the local economy.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:
“This investment is about boosting local industries, building people’s skills and ultimately futureproofing our economy and the career prospects of the next generation.
“Our local skills projects will bring together regional organisations, businesses and education providers to respond to the specific needs of employers, building an increasingly skilled workforce and growing local economies.
“Whether it is green skills, construction, engineering or digital, thousands more people can now gain the skills they need to secure good jobs closer to home. These are long-term plans that will ensure every area can have a brighter future.”
To read the full Local Skills Improvement Plan, visit www.bbf.uk.com/LSIP.
