We continue to make significant strides towards the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP). Our collaboration with stakeholders has been pivotal in aligning training provisions with employer skill demands.

Our ongoing efforts are dedicated to identifying current and future skills needs, implementing system changes, and ensuring post-16 technical education is responsive to local labour market requirements.

Strengthened Relationships: We've enhanced information sharing between employers and training providers, fostering a more cohesive and efficient approach.

Addressing Skills Shortages: The county is tackling critical skills shortages in priority sectors such as construction, digital and creative, health and social care, manufacturing, and distribution.

Increasing Accessibility: We're accelerating our focus on making skills more accessible, helping more individuals build successful careers.

Our collaborative approach, involving employers, training providers, and stakeholders, continues to drive positive change and support growth in our region.

We remain committed to continuously reviewing and updating the LSIP to ensure it meets the evolving needs of our local economy. The Essex Chambers of Commerce will maintain a laser-sharp focus on delivering against these priorities.

The progress we are making is substantial, and we will be able to share our annual progress report in June 2025, providing further evidence of the impact our ecosystem is having on skills.

This report will highlight the significant strides we have made in aligning training provisions with employer demands, addressing critical skills shortages, and enhancing accessibility to skills training. It will provide detailed insights into the collaborative efforts between employers, training providers, and stakeholders that have driven these achievements.

We look forward to sharing this comprehensive overview with you and demonstrating how our collective efforts are making a positive difference in our community. Stay tuned for more details in June 2025!

Additionally, we are excited to announce that from October 2025, we will commence the research required to draft the Local Skills Improvement Plan for publication in 2026, outlining the focus for Essex and the priorities for 2026-2029.