The Devon Chamber of Commerce, with the Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority, has today officially launched the Greater Devon Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) to drive growth and opportunity between employers and the region’s future workforce across the county.
The new LSIP will create a clear framework to address the region’s most pressing skills needed to support long-term economic growth.
Part of the Government’s Opportunity and Growth Missions, the LSIP will bring together employers, education providers and local stakeholders to ensure that the workforce has the right skills to meet current and future demand.
The Greater Devon LSIP will:
- Identify and prioritise the skills most needed in the local labour market, particularly those critical to economic growth.
- Strengthen collaboration between businesses, Further and Higher Education providers, and local authorities.
- Simplify access to training and career pathways for learners and employers.
- Align with national growth priorities while reflecting local needs and opportunities.
- Put the voice of employers at the heart of shaping education and training.
Ronnie Carter, LSIP Executive and Project Manager, said: “The Greater Devon LSIP is about ensuring our region has the skills it needs to thrive. By working together, we can equip local people with the tools to succeed, support our businesses to grow, and build a stronger future for our communities. This is not just about responding to immediate challenges, but about creating a long-term, sustainable framework where employers, providers and partners collaborate to shape the workforce of tomorrow.”
Developed by Devon Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority, and supported by education providers and local stakeholders, the Greater Devon LSIP represents a collaborative, locally owned approach that also connects with cross-boundary and regional needs.
With a strong emphasis on joint ownership and governance, the LSIP aims to avoid duplication, deliver measurable outcomes, and ensure that local communities benefit from future opportunities.
Its overall focus is to summarise the existing and future skills needs of the area and set out the actions required to address them. While it will not cover the entirety of skill needs within the region, it will strategically focus on those that are most important to the labour market and essential to economic growth.
At a national level, the LSIP will align with the Industrial Strategy, which identifies eight growth-driving sectors, alongside the foundation sectors of construction and health and social care. These sectors are key to achieving the Government’s growth ambitions, and the LSIP will clearly set out how they are relevant to greater Devon, alongside other locally identified priorities.
At a local level, the LSIP will ensure that business voices are placed firmly at the centre of local economic plans and strategies, including Local Growth Plans, the Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority Skills and Future Workforce Plan, Employment and Skills Strategies and Get Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Working Plans. This will enable skills priorities to be fully joined up with wider economic development and employment activity.
By working with Further and Higher Education providers, the LSIP will help improve the quality and flexibility of training and make it easier for learners and employers to navigate existing provision. Employer engagement will be strengthened so that businesses have a clear role in shaping skills, while services such as Jobcentre Plus and careers organisations will be encouraged to reinforce LSIP objectives.
By putting employers and learners at the heart of skills planning, the Greater Devon LSIP aims to help build a stronger, more resilient workforce, unlock new opportunities for growth across the region, and ensure local communities can thrive in a rapidly changing economy.
