The Local Government Association (LGA) is warning today that
employment and skills support in local areas will become even
more fragmented if councils are sidelined in the Government’s
Skills and Post-16 Education Bill.
With the Bill having its Committee Stage today (Tuesday), the LGA
is calling on MPs to accept a Lords amendment to the Bill which
would ensure that councils can work together with businesses and
Further Education providers to deliver a more coherent local
skills offer to give young people and adults the best chance of
improving their skills and progressing into quality jobs.
The Government has recognised that mayoral combined
authorities who have devolved skills functions should be included
in LSIP development, but the LGA is calling on the Government to
extend this to councils in other parts of the country.
Local authorities in England that do not have devolved skills
powers should be written into the Bill so they can play a key
role working with businesses and further education providers to
develop Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) which will help
plan technical skills within a local area.
Councils play a vital role in local skills systems and hold
unique skills, local labour market and economic development
expertise that is vital to LSIPs. Their involvement will be
crucial to bridge LSIPs with other local provision to create an
coordinated offer that works for local areas, and build in local
democratic accountability for LSIPs outcomes, which is currently
missing from the Governments proposals.
LGA analysis shows that if councils and combined authorities were
given the powers to plan, commission and oversee a joined-up
system of employment support with their local partners it could
result in 8,500 more people in work and a benefit to the economy
of £420 million each year in an average combined authority area.
Cllr Simon Henig, Vice-Chair of the LGA’s People and Places Board
said:
“Throughout the pandemic, local government have been trusted to
co-ordinate employment, training and business support for their
local area. Councils want to build on this as we help our
communities recover.
“Councils know their communities best and it is vitally important
that local authorities are given a greater role in this Bill so
they can work in partnership to help support people to get into
employment or training.
“At a time when the Government is rightly discussing devolving
powers to local areas as part of the Levelling Up White Paper, it
is crucial that this is not undermined by sidelining the
expertise of local government in the delivery of skills and
employment support.
“With adequate resourcing and powers and the ability to work in
partnership with national government and others at an early
stage, councils can help well-intended but disconnected national
schemes keep people in work and businesses recruiting.”
