Skills Advisory Panel

Leading the development of education and skills among all age groups.

The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Advisory Panel has a clear and significant role in leading on the objective for a skilled workforce and strategically directing the approach to the cross-cutting skills issues across the LEP objectives.

The Skills Advisory Panel board (which replaces the Education Skills and Employment Group) is responsible for securing delivery of the SSLEP Skills Strategy and its programme of activities and investments.

The development of education and skills among all age groups is crucial for the successful future economic prosperity and competitiveness of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire with direct impacts linking secure employment to higher living standards and improved health and wellbeing.

Securing a well-qualified and adaptable workforce with the skills sets appropriate to the needs of existing business sectors, as well as those in which we have aspirations for economic growth, should be a fundamental priority for our economic development. The Skills Advisory Panel and the work it drives will be a crucial part of realising this aspiration.

Its role is to bring together local employers and skills providers to work together to understand and address key local challenges. This includes both immediate needs and challenges and looking at what is required to help Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire employers and skills providers adapt to future labour market changes, grasp future opportunities and give more people in the local community access to higher quality skills provision.

The panel will secure influences on resources and agencies for delivering these priorities acting as a strategic commissioner of skills provision, on behalf of the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. The SAP will make recommendations on the strategic fit of skills projects and proposals to the Executive Board.

Whether you are a business, an education or training provider, an adult or young person the Skills Advisory Panel is here to help you secure a profitable future.