Future Skills Sussex Conversation

We are taking a Sussex-wide approach to skills related conversations with businesses.

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Through our conversation theme we aim to:

Enable change.
Promote and facilitate collaboration with education and skills providers.
Understand workforce challenges and skills needs.
Embed the role of business in the development of an appropriately skilled Sussex workforce.
Encourage and support businesses investment in the training and development of employees.
Monitor impact of the LSIP on employer skills needs.

The partners

‍The Sussex Chamber of Commerce is the lead for this theme, and we are working with the following core partners to coordinate with and add value to existing 'skills conversations' with businesses.

Our activity

‍Through research and analysis, consultation and planning workshops we developed a set of recommended actions which form part of a 3-year action plan for each Framework theme.

The overarching recommended actions for Conversation are:‍

Carry out mapping activity to understand what conversations are already happening. Define what ‘coordination’ looks like and identify what the gaps are.
Develop a Sussex-wide ‘approach’ to sector-based conversations and collaboration to bring about change.
Embed a focus on equality, diversity and inclusion in business engagement to understand good practice and promote opportunities.
Raise awareness of and build engagement in local and regional skills initiatives.

View the full action plan here.

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Project News

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NetZero and Green Skills Research – Future of Green Skills Sussex

The LSIP team has been working with Clean Growth UK, at University of Brighton, on a project around NetZero and Green Skills.

This project has been undertaken as part of our actions with the LSIP Improvement Framework under the Intelligence theme to ‘Build on the sector deep dives with a particular focus on skills for NetZero and climate change; and equality, diversity and inclusion’.

We have taken a sector led approach to uncover the current skills challenges, potential and opportunities for transition in each of the LSIP key sectors.

The resulting report for Sussex businesses, job seekers and our strategic partners examines the current landscape, local support structures and future prospects of Green Skills.

Read the report here.‍

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Future Skills Sussex and Clean Growth UK would like to invite you to continue the conversation regarding NetZero and Green Skills for businesses at our Green Skills Event.

This will be held on 25 September 2024 at University of Brighton.

The event will include discussion on the key finding of this project, local business talks into how they are dealing with NetZero and the skills they use, identifying your Green Skills needs discussion and an ideas avalanche on how to up skills your workforce.

There will also be plenty of opportunity to network over lunch.

To register for this free event please email skills@sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk.‍

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Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) research

Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse workforce

The LSIP team has now completed the project which has built on the sector deep dives undertaken as part of the LSIP development. This project has a particular focus of improving Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) knowledge and understanding in businesses to improve workforce skills and practices to recruit and retain staff.

Our aim was to delve deeper into the realms of Equalities, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) within the local business community to research and report on examples of good practice in local businesses.

We believe that fostering a diverse and inclusive environment is not just morally right but also commercially astute. It's about shaping a future that values everyone's contribution and provides equal opportunities for growth and success.

The resulting report for Sussex businesses, job seekers and our strategic partners provides:

a shared resource of useful tools and information to assist businesses in enhancing their EDI approaches.
access to valuable local and national EDI data to inform business strategies and thinking.
information on the support organisations and initiatives across the Sussex area available to businesses to support them engage and retain a diverse workforce.

Read the report here ‍

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Inclusive pathways to Employment: Unlocking the talent of neurodiverse individuals and people with learning difficulties in Sussex

The LSIP team have now finalised this research and report as a key action within the LSIP Intelligence theme of the Future Skills Sussex Improvement Framework to "Build a picture of existing programmes to support people with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) and those from disadvantaged groups into employment within key sectors."

Our goal is to foster a more diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce in Sussex, benefiting not just neurodiverse individuals and people with learning difficulties but the broader business community and society as a whole.

By undertaking this review, we aimed not just to map the current landscape but to highlight and share good practice and suggest actionable strategies for improvement.

The resulting report for Sussex businesses, job seekers and our strategic partners provides:

an evidence base of key information regarding neurodiversity and learning difficulties within the workplace, including benefits for employers and the support available to businesses across Sussex.
Local provision and examples of good practice.

Read the report here

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‍Inclusive Pathways to Employment: Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Neurodiversity Events

As part of the research and reports detailed above, we’re excited to announce two upcoming events focusing on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and Neurodiversity in work.

These two events will launch our recent research and reports while providing a space for stakeholders to exchange knowledge and best practices, hear from employers sharing their inclusive employment journeys and how to tap into pools of talent within diverse communities.

There will also be an opportunity to network over lunch.

We plan to hold these events in September, so watch this space for further details.

Learner Focus Project Findings

We are pleased to share our recent Learner Focus Project report with our partners and businesses across the Sussex area.

The following report contains background, key findings and suggested actions from a short project that was undertaken due to a gap we identified in our intelligence during the development of the LSIP report. Throughout the LSIP process we have spoken to employers and providers but had not yet engaged with learners. The aim was to undertake a series of workshops with learners and adults seeking employment in order to hear their views on employability skills and future employment.

In order to undertake the project, we worked in collaborate with LSIP partners and providers, including colleges, universities and Restart providers (a support programme for unemployed adults) across the Sussex area in order to speak with their learners. In addition, we were invited to speak with the Youth Hub in the Brighton & Hove area and the Connected Futures project being run by CXK in Hastings.

We would like to thank all these organisations that were involved and supported this project.

The link to the report can be found on our here.

Any feedback or queries regarding this project please contact us at skills@sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

It’s vital for our business stakeholders to be a part of these conversations

Get involved

As part of the ongoing LSIP process we will be holding further skills conversations with our key sector stakeholders to refresh the findings around skills needs and challenges. We'll undertake these conversations through one-to-one telephone interviews into businesses particular skills needs now and in the future and also through a series of key sector Deep Dive projects, which are taking place between November 2022 and February 20223.

As a Sussex businesses it's vital that you have your say and be able to inform how skills provision can best suit your needs going forward.

There are a number of ways you can participate in these skills conversations:

One-to-one telephone interviews

We'll be working with a research company to undertake telephone interviews and surveys to identify the current and future labour market and skills needs of your organisations and how you feel our skills system can best support you with these needs. The interviews will only take a short time and will provide us with invaluable intelligence.

Get involved in the Deep Dives

We'll be undertaking granular Deep Dive projects into each of our key sectors to gain further intelligence regarding sectors labour market and skills needs and the challenges they face. The projects will look to provide recommendations on how skills provision can be developed to meet these needs. We will also be looking at what existing good practice is taking place and seeing what skills innovations are taking place in parts of Sussex and other areas that can be replicated and grown across the area.

You can get involved in our Deep Dives into each of our key sectors:

have an in-depth one-to-one skills conversations with our Stakeholder Engagement Leads regarding your business labour market and skills needs, your experiences of the current skills system and how you recruit, up-skills and retain you workforce
Join our Deep Dive workshop events to take place early in the new year - information will be available on these events nearer the time.

To get involved in the ongoing LSIP skills conversations please complete the contact form at the bottom of the page or email skills@sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

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An important part of the LSIP next steps will be to involve education providers and careers support providers in the continued skills conversations in order to inform the refreshed LSIP and Future Skills Sussex Improvement Plan.

Get involved in the Deep Dives

We'll be undertaking granular Deep Dive projects into each of our key sectors to gain further intelligence regarding sectors labour market and skills needs and the challenges they face. The projects will look to provide recommendations on how skills provision can be developed to meet these needs. We will also be looking at what existing good practice is taking place and seeing what skills innovations are taking place in parts of Sussex and other areas that can be replicated and grown across the area.

There are a number of ways for providers to be involved in our Deep Dives into each of our key sectors:

We would like to undertake in-depth one-to-one skills conversations with Senior Managers/Heads of Learning/Curriculum Leads regarding your organisations skills offer to our key sectors, any challenges you face in providing the skills needed in the area and what you may already be innovating on to support businesses with their skills needs.
We will look to have provider representatives on the key sector Deep Dive steering groups, which will meet three times over the course of the projects to support and be actively involved in the research and activities
The Deep Dive workshop events to take place early in the new year - information will be available on these events nearer the time.

To keep up to date on the LSIP skills conversations and get involved please complete the contact form at the bottom of the page or email skills@sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

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LSIP events

Get involved and help shape the future of Sussex business.

No events available, but check back soon as we'd love you to join us.

Partner events

If partners would like to have their events included on our website please email information to skills@sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk.

Conversation findings

Our skills conversations link closely and support our intelligence evidence base. Read more about our skills intelligence here

Intelligence

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Join us on our Journey

We’d love you to join us as we continue to deepen our understanding of the skills most needed to support local economic growth, boost productivity and improve prosperity.

To stay updated, collaborate and contribute, please leave us your details and we’ll be in touch.

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