• Swindon & Wiltshire Education, training and skills
• Thursday August 20 2026

New skills plan for West of England launched

A new skills plan for the West of England is calling for closer alignment between employers, colleges and training providers as the region prepares for a decade of economic expansion.

Published by Business West, the government-funded 2026 Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) sets out the workforce priorities and practical actions needed to ensure post-16 education responds more closely to business demand.

It identifies digital and artificial intelligence capability, net-zero skills, core employability, recruitment and retention, and access to training as shared challenges across the local economy.

The plan comes as the West of England’s growth strategy targets the creation of 72,000 new jobs over the next decade. Business West said employers had been clear about the skills and training required to support investment, productivity and expansion across the region.

Rather than treating the report as an endpoint, the chamber said it would provide a platform for continued collaboration between employers, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, colleges and other skills providers.

The focus reflects a shift in how local workforce planning is being delivered. Since 2021, LSIPs have given businesses a more direct role in shaping technical education and training.

Across the areas covered by Business West—including the West of England and North Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset—more than 5,000 employers have contributed evidence on skills gaps, recruitment pressures and training needs.

That input has already helped unlock practical investment. Colleges across the four areas received more than £13 million through the Local Skills Improvement Fund between 2023 and 2025, supporting projects including clinical training facilities, retrofit and electric-vehicle courses, construction equipment, cyber laboratories and NHS-linked training pathways.

The new plan also builds on initiatives such as government-funded Skills Bootcamps in leadership, data analytics and AI, construction, early years, cyber and green skills.

For businesses, the challenge now is turning the plan’s priorities into provision that is accessible, flexible and closely connected to real vacancies. For colleges and training providers, it means continuing to adapt courses and facilities around emerging sectors.

Business West is due to present the plan’s findings and next-stage commitments at an event at Leigh Court, Bristol, on September 9.

Douglas Ure, CEO of Business West, said: “Business West are proud to deliver the West of England and North Somerset Local Skills Improvement Plan on behalf of businesses, education and training providers and key stakeholders in the local area.

“LSIPs put employers at the heart of local skills planning, aligning training with real business need and strengthening collaboration with education providers to improve options for learners, and help businesses plan ahead.”