The government has shaken up the specified areas in England that are covered by a local skills improvement plan (LSIP).
In June DfE confirmed that it was making up to £6.3 million available for employer representative bodies (ERBs) to develop fresh versions of the plans between October and next summer.
The Department for Education (DfE) also reviewed the locations covered by an LSIP following the introduction of “strategic authorities” and their boundaries as outlined in the government’s devolution white paper.
Nine LSIP areas will see a change, including extra plans in the West Midlands and the South West and two North East plans merging.
This means the number of areas covered by an LSIP will increase from 38 to 39.
A small number of LSIPs have also changed hands, with oversight of the development of the plans shifting to different ERBs (see changes below and here).
LSIPs were first introduced in the 2021 FE white paper. They require local employers, education providers and other stakeholders to collaboratively identify and resolve skills needs. Colleges and training providers are supposed to tailor their provision to skills priorities identified in the plans.
The first LSIPs launched in 2022, backed with £20.9 million dished out to ERBs over three years to develop, implement and review the plans.
Each of the 39 refreshed LSIP areas and their ERBs will receive roughly £160,000 to redesign the plans over the next year.
The changes revealed today include merging North East LSIP and North and Tyne LSIP, with the new single LSIP’s boundaries matching those of the North East Combined Authority. North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) Limited has been chosen as the ERB for the merged LSIP.
In the North West, the name of the Cheshire and Warrington ERB has changed from South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry to the South and North Cheshire Chamber of Commerce.
Meanwhile, the East Midlands’ previously known LSIP area of Derbyshire and Nottingham has changed its name to “East Midlands”, with the Leicester and Leicestershire area also changing its name slightly to Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. There have been no ERB changes in these areas.
The West Midlands has had Warwickshire added as a new LSIP specified area, with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce appointed as the ERB.
In the East, officials have changed the LSIP area name of Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock to Greater Essex with no ERB change.
The South East has retained the same number of LSIP areas, but “Enterprise M3 LEP (including all of Surrey)” is now known as “Surrey”, while “Solent” changes to Hampshire and Solent. No ERB changes have been made.
Meanwhile, the Heart of the South West LSIP area has been split into two LSIPs: Greater Devon (Plymouth, Devon and Torbay) and Somerset.
The ERB for Somerset is the Business West Chambers of Commerce, and the Greater Devon ERB is the Devon Chamber of Commerce.
No changes have been made to Greater London or Yorkshire and the Humber.
All existing LSIPs will remain valid until replacement plans are published in summer 2026, the DfE said.
And where an LSIP specified area has changed, the “designated ERB will remain designated to lead the implementation and review of the existing LSIP, including in relation to the area no longer covered by the new LSIP being developed, until a new LSIP covering the area is published”.
During this “transition period”, in some parts of the country there will be two designated ERBs covering parts of the same LSIP geography.
“From October 2025 to summer 2026, the designated ERBs will therefore be developing new LSIPs whilst continuing to implement and review the existing LSIPs,” the DfE added.
[UPDATE: Shortly after this article was published the DfE updated the LSIPs webpage to confirm the Great Devon ERB has been appointed and will be led by Devon Chamber of Commerce]
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