Transparency data

Local skills improvement plans and designated employer representative bodies

Updated 19 September 2024

Applies to England

In autumn 2022, employer representative bodies (ERBs) were designated to lead the development of local skills improvement plans (LSIPs) for all 38 areas of the country. Each plan provides an agreed set of actionable priorities that employers, providers and other stakeholders in a local area can get behind to drive change.

LSIPs were approved by the Secretary of State for Education in summer 2023, in line with the approval criteria set out in the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 and in accordance with the LSIP statutory guidance. In summer 2024, each area produced an annual progress report setting out:

  • which of the actions or changes in the LSIP had been achieved
  • the impact and benefits of those actions or changes
  • what still needed to be achieved in their area

The LSIPs and annual progress reports have been published on the designated ERB websites.

All employer representative body designations came into effect on 5 September 2022, with the exception of Cheshire and Warrington, and Liverpool City Region, where the designations came into effect on 20 October 2022 and 29 August 2024 respectively.

The terms and conditions that all designated ERBs have consented to are also available.

The published LSIPs can be found on the designated ERB websites.

North-east

LSIP specified area Designated ERB Locations covered
North East North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) Limited Durham, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland
North of Tyne North East England Chamber of Commerce Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, North Tyneside
Tees Valley North East England Chamber of Commerce Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton on Tees

North-west

LSIP specified area Designated employer representative body Locations covered
Cheshire and Warrington South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Warrington
Cumbria Cumbria Chamber of Commerce Cumbria
Greater Manchester Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Lancashire North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce Blackburn and Darwen, Blackpool, Lancashire
Liverpool City Region Liverpool Chamber of Commerce[footnote 1] Liverpool City Region

Yorkshire and the Humber

LSIP specified area Designated employer representative body Locations covered
Hull and East Yorkshire Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull
South Yorkshire Doncaster Chamber of Commerce South Yorkshire Combined Authority
West Yorkshire West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce West Yorkshire Combined Authority
York and North Yorkshire West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce North Yorkshire, York

East Midlands

LSIP specified area Designated employer representative body Locations covered
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Federation of Small Businesses Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Greater Lincolnshire Federation of Small Businesses Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, Rutland
Leicester and Leicestershire East Midlands Chamber of Commerce Leicester and Leicestershire
South-East Midlands Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce (incorporating Milton Keynes Chamber) Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire

West Midlands

LSIP specified area Designated employer representative body Locations covered
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent
The Marches Shropshire Chamber of Commerce Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin
West Midlands and Warwickshire Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Warwickshire, West Midlands Combined Authority
Worcestershire Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Worcestershire

East

LSIP specified area Designated employer representative body Locations covered
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock Essex Chambers of Commerce Essex, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Hertfordshire
Norfolk and Suffolk Norfolk Chambers of Commerce Norfolk, Suffolk

Greater London

LSIP specified area Designated employer representative body Locations covered
Greater London BusinessLDN (previously London First) Greater London

South-east

LSIP specified area Designated employer representative body Locations covered
Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, West Sussex Sussex Chamber of Commerce Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, West Sussex
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire Business First Buckinghamshire
Enterprise M3 LEP (including all of Surrey) Surrey Chambers of Commerce Hampshire (excluding the districts of Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, New Forest), Surrey
Kent and Medway Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce Kent, Medway
Oxfordshire Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group Oxfordshire
Solent Hampshire Chamber of Commerce Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and the following districts in Hampshire: Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, New Forest, Southampton
Thames Valley Berkshire Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham

South-west

LSIP specified area Designated employer representative body Locations covered
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Federation of Small Businesses Cornwall, Isles of Scilly
Dorset Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Dorset
Gloucestershire Business West Chambers of Commerce Gloucestershire
Heart of the South West Devon and Somerset Local Skills Improvement Plan Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, Torbay
Swindon and Wiltshire Business West Chambers of Commerce Swindon, Wiltshire
West of England and North Somerset Business West Chambers of Commerce West of England Combined Authority, North Somerset
  1. Liverpool Chamber of Commerce became the designated employer representative body for Liverpool City Region on 29 August 2024. St Helens Chamber of Commerce’s designation was removed on 28 August 2024, as the body did not meet the requirements set out in section 2(1)(A) of the Skills and Post 16 Education Act due to it entering administration.