Development of second round of Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIP) is now underway. New guidance to steer the process has been launched by Skills England.
New guidance published today will empower local leaders, employers, colleges, independent training providers, and universities to transform skills training across England – driving national economic renewal from the ground up.
Local areas know best how to tackle local skills needs. LSIP are vital for making this a reality and Employer Representative Bodies (ERBs), working with Strategic Authorities where they are in place, will lead on development. These local plans provide in-depth insight on skill needs across a given area – from supporting people to enter work and progress in employment, through to post graduate level 8 – and the actions required to meet them. The work will involve many key local stakeholders including Job Centre Plus.
The LSIPs statutory guidance sets out how key players for all 39 LSIP areas must work together to develop three-year plans that will be approved in summer 2026 and run up to 2029.
“Local businesses and communities know best what skills they need to succeed. New Local Skills Improvement Plans will put employers, educators and authorities at the heart of identifying skills gaps and delivering the training that matters most to their area. By tailoring skills training to local needs, we will break down barriers to opportunity and help businesses and communities across England thrive.”
“Delivering meaningful change must be driven at a local level by the people who know their communities best. Local Skills Improvement Plans are central to making this a reality – uniting employers, strategic authorities, HE and FE providers and all those involved in solving local skills challenges together. This new guidance sets the roadmap for making that happen.
“This second round of LSIPs presents an outstanding opportunity to shape the skills agenda in your area. I would like to encourage local organisations, who care about training-up local people and supporting businesses to succeed, to take it.”
“Solving the skills crisis afflicting the UK is crucial to growing the economy faster. BCC research shows that 75% of employers are struggling to find staff with the skills they need. LSIP are a key tool in addressing this problem. With a strong focus on employer engagement, they can match skills provision to local economic needs in the medium and long term future. In the first few months alone, over 65,500 businesses engaged with Chamber-led LSIP, many of them getting involved in the skills system for the very first time. We are already seeing the positive, practical impact of LSIP on the ground, and it is hugely encouraging that the government has committed to developing them further.”
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20.11.2025
