SAPs Local Skills Report Official sensitive 1 Background

SAPs Local Skills Report Official sensitive 1

Background to Local Skills Reports § Condition for this years’ round of grant funding All SAPs to produce a Local Skills Report by March 2021. § Conceived as a lever to increase SAPs’ influence This idea and the positioning of reports alongside other SAP outputs was discussed as part of the research carried out with 11 SAP areas (a mix of LEPs and MCAs) during Spring this year. § Aligned with wider FE policy landscape- inc. Skills and Productivity board (SPB) Reports will be a vital source of local intelligence for the national SPB's work. Reports support Secretary of State’s aim of ensuring local colleges are firmly linked to local business needs, and his vision for ‘upskilling, reskilling and retraining’*. As FE reform plans unfold, we will keep Local Skills Reports under review to ensure they remain fit for purpose and relevant long term. * Speech from The Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP – Secretary of State for Education – hosted by Social Market Foundation- 9 th July 2020. Available online: https: //www. smf. co. uk/speech-from-the-rt-hon-gavin-williamson-mp-secretary-of-state-for-education/ 2

What is the purpose of Local Skills Reports? § Local Skills Reports will help to grow SAPs’ influence, our spring research suggested that the report could do this by: § Being a 'go-to' document for everything local-skills related- bringing together existing and new skills information into one consistent document common to all SAPs. § Acting as an engagement tool- a vehicle through which SAPs can directly engage, influence and rally employers and providers in their areas. A place where SAPs can showcase their work. § Feeding intelligence into the Skills and Productivity board and central government more broadly- a consistent output common to all SAPs that the new Skills and Productivity Board can use to understand the needs and priorities of local areas and help build a national picture. § Offering valuable insight and evaluation- detailing the progress made on local skills initiatives in motion, as well as those planned. 3

What are the underlying principles of the Local Skills Reports? Readable Skills specific • Appropriately sized • Offer interesting local insight and updates • Consistent in format and content to enable readers (including SPB) to identify common themes, emerging patterns and make national comparisons. • Reports will bring all skills related content into one 'goto' document. The skills focus will be more specific than that of broader local economic plans/ recovery plans, and less data focused than SAPs’ underlying analytical evidence bases. Relevant • Refreshed annually with a fuller re-publication every 2 years • Produced in November each year to coincide with providers’ curriculum planning. The exception to this will be year 1 where all places must produce a report by March 2021. Responsive Adaptable to future policy changes – report and accompanying guidance can be flexed to suit the future FE and Skills system. 4

What are the key points to remember about the Local Skills Report? • Consistent- Reports have a consistent content, format and style so they are easily recognisable and the 'go-to' place for everything local-skills related. To support SAPs to achieve this, we will provide a comprehensive Local Skills Report guidance document. • Dual-purpose- As discussed during our spring research, the report will be drafted as both a tool to share with local providers and employers, and as a tool to raise the profile of SAPs. • Reflective and retrospective- Reports will reflect on what SAPs have achieved to date, including any challenges faced. At the same time, SAPs will be encouraged to reflect on their future plans and identify any obstacles ahead.

Proposed content outline: Chapter Content Our user-research Description PART 1 - Introduction 1 The role of SAPs This overview will cover the basic features of SAPs, their aims and objectives, governance and how they work to support wider Government Policy. (approx. 1 page to be provided by Df. E SAPs team) 2 Foreword (Chair of SAP) An executive summary by the SAP chair bringing an overall narrative the chapters. Ideally, Chairs will offer their personal reflections on performance and emphasise the need for local join up between partners. (approx. 1 page) 3 Local context An outline of the SAP’s key economic features including strengths and weaknesses. SAPs should draw out any unique features of the locality (e. g. coastal, rural). “provide insight for local stakeholders” 4 Skills Strategy An outline of the SAP area’s overarching skills strategy including the long-term vision and priorities for the local economy (can be a hyperlink). “be a one-stop shop for all local skills work” 5 Skills Action plan 6 Assessment of progress “the report must help others to understand what SAPs do’ “allow areas to take ownership of the report and personalise’ PART 2 - Main section 7 A reader-friendly overview or diagram of the SAP’s Skills action plan, highlighting the initiatives and actions the SAP intends “be a one-stop shop for all local skills to take (can be a hyperlink). work” SAPs should look critically at progress made against their strategy and action plan. They should update on skills initiatives whilst also reflecting more widely on the achievements and challenges they have experienced. Case studies / positive impact stories This optional chapter offers SAPs the opportunity to ‘deep-dive’ into their SAPs’ successes. This could be examples of working with local providers or a positive opinion piece by a local employer or provider. 8 Forward look 9 Afterword An overview of what the local SAP hopes to achieve between now and the next Local Skills Report. SAPs should consider what the key areas for improvement are and how they wish to develop further. SAPs should think about challenges they might face and how local stakeholders can help to overcome these. “the report needs to be suitable to engage employers with” “the report needs to be a place where we can discuss our achievements” “forward looking and show the work SAPs plan to do” PART 3 - Conclusion Annex A Core indicators This chapter draws together the content of the main section, focusing specifically on bringing together the discussions from ’Assessment of progress’ and ‘Forward look’. Ideally it should be evaluative in tone and set out in concrete terms the next steps the SAP will take. This annex will include core indicators of the SAPs evidence base drawing on the key data used to understand local skills supply and demand. The Df. E SAPs Programme Team will provide these indicators to allow comparisons across areas. SAPs will use these to underpin the content of the Report and will supplement these with any additional analysis and intelligence particularly relevant for their local context. “evaluative in nature” “enable comparison at a national level”

Reminder of timelines 2020 2021 § Feb- Workshop to announce new round of SAPs funding, Local Skills Report introduced § Mar-May- Research on the concept and idea of Local Skills Reports with 11 x SAPs § Jul- Introduction to Local Skills Report webinar § Aug- Local Skills Report guidance consultation and wider stakeholder engagement § Sept- Local Skills Report guidance and data for Annex A- ‘Core indicators’ sent to SAPs § Oct-Dec- SAPs programme team provide support to SAPs on Local Skills Report as needed § Jan-Mar- Local Skills Reports published [31 st March deadline] § Apr-May- Guidance updated as necessary § Nov- Updated Local Skills Reports published (second edition) 7

We want to hear from you § We have spoken to some of your already regarding the ‘Core indicators’ section of the LSR and we will be consulting with as many of you as possible on the LSR guidance across August. § For anyone unable to attend consultation sessions on the LSR guidance in August, you will still be able to submit your views to us via the SAPs programme mailbox. § If you have anything you would like to raise, specific queries or questions on the LSR between now and the guidance consultation sessions, please contact us via the SAPs programme mailbox. 8