Morning, Thursday, 19th November 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps for Local Skills Improvement Plans and regional skills planning in England. Taking place with the second cycle of LSIPs expected to be published this summer, the agenda will consider their role in aligning skills provision with local workforce needs within a more devolved post-16 skills system.
Delegates will discuss priorities for LSIP development and implementation, including alignment between skills provision and employer demand, devolution and regional governance arrangements, participation and progression into priority sectors, and approaches to measuring long-term benefits for learners, employers and local economies. Taking place at a time of new leadership in government, the conference will also provide an opportunity to consider priorities in this area and the direction of policy in the years ahead.
Overall, the conference will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to examine what recent reform and evidence mean for local skills planning. The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper’s emphasis on more coherent pathways between education, training and employment will be discussed. We expect discussion to be informed by Skills England’s first Annual Skills Report and its assessment of current and future workforce demand, alongside practical implications of reform for apprenticeships, vocational pathways, the Growth and Skills Levy and the Lifelong Learning Entitlement.
Areas for discussion include what will be needed if policy initiatives and learning from evidence is to be translated into effective local delivery, including priorities for employers, providers, local authorities, and for a new Prime Minister and national policymakers in responding to workforce needs and strengthening pathways into training and employment.
Funding, responsibilities & coordination
Insights emerging from the first cycle of LSIPs will be examined, looking at priorities for building more responsive local skills systems, including accountability, governance, and the flexibility needed to reflect changing employer and learner needs. Areas for discussion include effective partnership working between employers, education providers, local authorities and regional leaders, and the potential contribution of the Local Skills Improvement Fund to supporting curriculum alignment with local skills needs.
Given questions raised by stakeholders about sustainable funding and delivery stability, we expect discussion on how recent financial incentives might support employer engagement in local workforce development. This includes full funding of apprenticeship training for eligible young people in smaller businesses, alongside the £3000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers taking on eligible young people.
Further discussion is expected on how LSIPs should develop within an increasingly devolved skills landscape, in the context of Integrated Funding Settlements, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, and introduction of joint ownership arrangements between Employer Representative Bodies and Strategic Authorities. Delegates will also consider the relationship between national workforce priorities - such as those set out in the Clean Energy Jobs Plan - and differing regional workforce requirements.
Priority sectors, participation & progression
Drawing on Skills England’s recently published Annual Skills Report 2026 and accompanying Skills Needs Assessments, attendees will discuss what the evidence on current and future skills demand suggests for addressing shortages, increasing employer engagement, navigating technological change, strengthening pathways into priority sectors, and improving transitions into employment. This will be considered alongside emerging evidence on youth participation in education, training and employment and economic inactivity following the anticipated publication of Alan Milburn’s forthcoming Young People and Work report.
Delegates will assess what will be needed in practice to align domestic upskilling with sectoral demand, improve employer investment, support SME engagement, and strengthen recruitment and retention - particularly in rapidly developing sectors such as green energy and digital. Consideration will also be given to how LSIPs can be structured to deliver sustained and effective support for workforce progression, reduce system fragmentation, and promote organisational strategic planning, taking into account developments in employment policy, immigration policy and regional growth strategies for future workforce supply.
Vocational reform, access to support & tackling place-based barriers
Ways forward for strengthening routes into high quality and sustainable work will be discussed, in the context of measures set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper to reform the post-16 system, close skills gaps and better align provision with economic need. Discussion will also consider the expansion of Youth Guarantee provision and the new Jobs and Careers Service, including priorities for reform to apprenticeship design, vocational qualifications and the Jobs Guarantee scheme to respond to employer demand, learner requirements and future skills needs. Delegates will also assess priorities for coordination across education and training providers, employers, local authorities and employment support services in skills provision.
Further discussion will examine the integration of locally-tailored careers guidance, physical and mental health services, and support for those from underrepresented backgrounds into LSIPs delivery, as legislative reform - such as the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 - gives strategic authorities a greater role in skills and employment support.
Examination of place-based barriers to regional growth will also include the contribution of investment into local infrastructure and community resources, including transport links, digital connectivity and educational attainment. Delegates will consider how these factors may affect access to local opportunities, participation in training and progression into sustained employment.
Measuring & monitoring impact
Considering the longer term, the agenda will explore how the success of LSIPs should be defined, measured and monitored moving forward.
Delegates will discuss evidence emerging from the first and second cycles of implementation, particularly what it suggests about employer engagement, curriculum alignment, learner progression, and responsiveness to local economic and workforce needs. Attendees will also assess what is needed to support sustained benefits for employers, learners and local economies, while maintaining the flexibility to adjust to evolving regional circumstances, sector demand and future skills requirements.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department for Education; Department for Work and Pensions; Department for Business and Trade; Department of Health and Social Care; Department for the Economy, NI; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; HM Revenue and Customs; and the Welsh Government.
