Business views sought on digital and green skills needs

Employers across Greater Birmingham are being invited to give feedback on their skills needs - particularly in growth areas such as digital and the green economy.

In September, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce partnered with Coventry & Warwickshire and Black Country Chambers of Commerce to secure the delivery of the West Midlands Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).

The West Midlands LSIP will provide an agreed set of priorities that employers, providers and stakeholders in the region can get behind to drive change.

The purpose of Local Skills Improvement Plans is to place employers at the heart of local skills systems, facilitate direct and dynamic working arrangements between employers and providers and ultimately shape the future of skills provision across the region for years to come.

As part of the research process, Chambers across the region are seeking local employers to participate in virtual focus groups in areas of growth identified by the West Midlands Combined Authority. These include the following and their supply chains:

• Manufacturing of electric light vehicles and associated battery storage devices and Aerospace (including manufacturing alternative fuel)
• Logistics & distribution
• Health Technology and Medical Technology
• Professional and financial services and supply chain
• Modern and low carbon utility and manufacturing of future housing

The West Midlands LSIP will explore the cross-cutting themes of digitisation and green skills in each of these areas. These focus group seek to gather business feedback on topics including:

• The challenges and opportunities associated with digitally upskilling employees in your sector
• Understanding the current and future skills needs of businesses in your sector across the areas of low carbon, clean growth & net zero
• The additional support you would like to see from local and national stakeholders to drive the development of digital and green skills in your sector

Emily Stubbs, senior policy and projects manager at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “Employers are currently facing extremely tight labour market conditions, contributing to difficulties accessing the skilled talent they need to operate at capacity and drive economic growth.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to shape post-16 technical education and the regional skills policy landscape. Feedback from the local business community is critical to ensuring skills provision reflects local business needs. ”

To find out more and contribute to this research, please contact Kuran Singh, policy advisor at the Chambers.