As we enter 2025, significant changes to the skills landscape necessitate deeper engagement with you, the employer community in Essex.

Focusing on employer engagement remains crucial, especially with ongoing government policy changes, for several reasons:

1. Adapting to Economic Shifts: New government policies aim to address economic challenges and opportunities. Engaging with you will help us understand your needs to adapt to these changes, fostering a resilient and dynamic local economy.
2. Workforce Development: New policies will introduce new training programs and incentives for skills development. By maintaining strong engagement, we can align funding for these programs to meet your actual needs, ensuring your workforce is equipped with relevant skills.
3. Job Creation and Retention: Investment in our community will lead to job creation and retention. This is particularly important during policy shifts that might otherwise create uncertainty. Continued engagement will allow us to provide clarity on policies, enabling you to make informed decisions for your businesses.
4. Data-Driven Decision Making: Effective, Essex-wide employer engagement will allow us to collect high-quality data to inform local and national policy decisions. This ensures that policies are responsive to the actual conditions and needs of our local economy.

We do not want to be passive recipients. By continuing to focus on employer engagement, we can better navigate policy changes and support you, our local businesses.

Listed below are some of the policy changes relevant to skills

• Skills England announcement re growth and skills levy Prime Minister overhauls apprenticeships to support opportunity - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Skills England Report Skills England: driving growth and widening opportunities
• IFATE subsumed into Skills England
• Industrial Strategy Invest 2035: the UK's modern industrial strategy
• Get Britain working  - white paper
• Devolution White paper – Foundations for Growth ​​English Devolution White Paper​: Power and partnership: Foundations for growth - GOV.UK
• All 38 LSIP’s met with Richard Pennycook on the 22nd January