West Midlands Local Skills Report 2022

This section outlines how the West Midlands prioritises skills needs locally. It shows how skills planning and delivery is linked to our strategic plans and summarises our crosscutting skills priorities, COVID-19 recovery priorities and sectoral priorities.

Regional Skills Plan
Our Regional Skills Plan sets out a clear roadmap for equipping local people with the skills they need to support, and benefit from, ongoing economic growth across the region. The RSP addresses several critical, persistent labour market challenges in the region which
remain prominent three years on:

• A low employment rate and high levels of
  unemployment in some parts of the region
• Poverty for some people in employment,
  driven by low wage levels
• Above average levels of adults with no
  formal qualifications
• Skills shortages leading to 1 in 4 vacancies
  in the region being classed as ‘hard to fill’
  
  

Our analysis of the latest data shows that while progress has been made across all areas, there are still challenges to address, as outlined in chapter three.

Delivering our strategy
Our collaboration with key partners such as the DfE, DWP, LEPs and Local Authorities alongside the oversight and scrutiny provided by the Skills Advisory Board, WMCA Board and other regional governance structures ensures that we are focused on addressing current and future skills needs. This has enabled
us to develop our devolved funding and responsibilities in a tailored and deliberate way to ensure delivery is informed, innovative and
responsive to local labour market challenges
and opportunities. Our work to do this happens
across four broad areas:

• Insight – analysis of data and other
  intelligence to understand challenges and
  opportunities. This includes SAP analysis
  commissioned through DfE funds.
• Development – policy and programme
  development with partners across the West
  Midlands to garner the best results from
  our assets and resources, and to ensure
  ideas are challenged and tested.
• Recovery – the ability to respond to major
  shocks, i.e., BREXIT and COVID-19.
• Skills Delivery – commissioning and
  delivery of provision that seeks to support
  residents to gain the skills and qualifications
  they need to gain employment, progress in
  work and access higher learning.

To deliver impact across a complex geography requires commitment from regional stakeholders and the Government. A key priority for our Skills Advisory Board is to ensure there is even more joined up working through the skills system. This includes shaping an effective business support system that supports SMEs to improve recruitment and training plans to drive growth. We will continue to work with Government to get the powers, flexibilities and funding needed for the region to meet our distinct needs. The table below summarises our cross cutting, COVID-19 and sector priorities. These have been identified through data analysis, engagement with regional and national partners and discussions at Skills Advisory Board meetings.