Sandwell businesses are being encouraged to take part in a major consultation that will help shape skills training and workforce development across the West Midlands in the years ahead.
The West Midlands Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is a government-backed initiative designed to ensure that education, training provision and skills funding genuinely reflect the needs of local employers. The consultation is being led by the region’s Chambers of Commerce, working in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority.
What is the Local Skills Improvement Plan?
The LSIP brings together employers, training providers and regional partners to identify current and future skills needs across the West Midlands. Its purpose is simple: to make sure colleges, training providers and funding decisions are aligned with the real challenges businesses face when recruiting, retaining and upskilling staff.
This work is being delivered by Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and Black Country Chamber of Commerce, alongside the West Midlands Combined Authority, with funding from the Department for Education.
Why your input matters
By completing a short survey, businesses can directly influence how skills provision is shaped across the region. Your feedback will help:
- Identify the skills and roles that are hardest to recruit
- Shape future investment in education and workforce development
- Ensure employer voices, not assumptions, drive skills planning
- Support long-term competitiveness and resilience across the local economy
The insight gathered will be used to produce practical, actionable recommendations that guide how stakeholders work together to close skills gaps across the West Midlands.
What the survey covers
The survey asks businesses about their current recruitment and skills challenges, how training needs are being addressed, what barriers exist to upskilling, and what changes would make the biggest difference to employers and learners. All responses are confidential and will only be reported in aggregate.
Please complete the survey as soon as possible to ensure Sandwell is well represented in the findings.
Complete the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GC5T9C7
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