County unveils 12-year skills plan

A new 12-year plan to improve the county's productivity by investing in skills has been unveiled by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership's Skills & Employment Hub.

The 2030 Technical Education Vision begins with education and experiences at primary level, continuing through to the workplace where employers and training providers will collaborate to deliver tailored education.

By anticipating and respond to market and technology change, as judged by employer demand, the programme will build an education system that allows the county to compete in a global scale.

Amanda Melton, chair of the Lancashire Skills & Employment Board, said: “The co-ordinated approach of Lancashire's Technical Education Vision starts with education and experiences from a young age and provides support right through our workers' lives. It also involves education providers and employers collaborating on design and delivery of education and training to increase prosperity for all.

“Furthermore, I am confident that our network of high-quality provision of both vocational qualifications and apprenticeships will fulfil the Technical Education Vision, and will continue to respond to growing and emerging technical skills needs.”

The Vision was launched at an event attended by more 60 business leaders and local employers, education providers and other key stakeholders. Government agencies, including the Department for Education, the Education & Skills Funding Agency and the National Apprenticeship Service were also all represented at the event.

Delegates heard from a range of speakers about some of Lancashire’s great achievements across the vocational skills, technical education and careers advice agenda.

These included the county’s Digital Skills Partnership, Lancashire’s growing Enterprise Adviser Network, the Skills & Employment Hub’s Labour Market Intelligence Toolkit and The Lancashire Apprentice Ambassador Network.

Lancashire’s recent achievement in securing Careers Hub status for several parts of the county was also highlighted, as was the multi-million pound investments the LEP has made in a wide range of local colleges and universities via the Local Growth Deal Fund.

 

Edwin Booth, chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, said: “Alongside the Lancashire Innovation Plan, this Technical Education Vision sets out a framework for nurturing the highly skilled and flexible workforce needed for Lancashire. This is to ensure we are placed at the heart of opportunities set to emerge from the Industrial Strategy and, in particular, the Northern Powerhouse.

“The Vision also seeks to build on the proud industrial heritage of Lancashire which has gifted us a legacy of innovative and creative enterprise. Employers are increasingly keen to direct the skills market so that locally grown talent will be central to their success and we will continue to put them at the heart of the county’s skills and training agenda.” A copy of the Lancashire Technical Education Vision can be downloaded here