Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) were introduced by the Department for Education (DfE) in Autumn 2022, with the aim of reshaping skills training provision to better meet the local needs of employers and the wider economy.  

They are intended to: 

• place employers at the heart of local skills systems. 
• provide an agreed set of actionable priorities that employers, providers, and other stakeholders in a local area can get behind to drive change. 
• help learners gain the skills they need to get good jobs and increase prospects. 

Employer Representative Bodies (ERBs) were designated to lead the development and review of LSIPs for all 38 areas of the country. In Cheshire & Warrington, the lead ERB is South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce. 

Each plan sets out the key changes needed in a local area to make technical education and training more responsive to employer and local labour market needs. 

All 38 LSIPs have been approved by the Secretary of State for Education in line with the approval criteria set out in the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022.