The LEP Network Skills leads meet 3 times a year to receive updates from HMG colleagues on skills including

• Apprenticeships
• Institutes of Technology
• T-levels
• Skills Advisory Panels
• Digital Skills Partnerships
• DWP employment strategy research
• Fuller Working Lives

The meetings are an opportunity to share good practice among LEPs. Occasionally outside speakers are invited to address the meeting if they represent organisations delivering the skills agenda.

LEPs have extensive experience of supporting people and businesses to achieve the skills required togrow their local economy. This includes the skills for today, post-Brexit and skills for the future. LEPs were a key partner in area reviews and are at the forefront of making sure that further education providers understand the skills needs of business. LEPs have invested over £650m in skills capital projects to ensure that the skills infrastructure needed to support current and future skills needs is in place and ready to train and upskills residents.

Through their Strategic Economic Plans, LEPs have influenced the allocation of over £1.2bn of European Social Fund  (ESF) skills projects to boost the skills of local residents. These skills projects fall within ESF priorities:

• Access to Employment
• Sustained Integration for Young People
• Youth Employment
• Active Inclusion
• Lifelong Learning
• Improving Education

To subscribe to the DWP ESF Project Bulletin email ESF.2014-2020@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK

LEPs are co-funders of the Careers and Enterprise Company Enterprise Adviser Network. Enterprise co-ordinators are located in all LEPs and work to engage local businesses to join the network of business volunteers working with schools to improve careers education