LSIP Stakeholder Briefing (09/02/2023)
Insight gathering for the Local Skills Improvement Plan has begun in earnest, with survey responses now being collected and consultations already well underway.
A detailed breakdown of what we are hoping to achieve here can be found in our last briefing. For a quick recap though, our goal is to canvas South Yorkshire’s business community for their views on training provision in the region, and how they think it can ultimately be improved.
Specifically, we are wanting to hear about their needs in respect of digital skills (which 2022’s LSIP trailblazer identified as a priority), so that we can help firms be at the cutting edge of new technology.
With colleges, universities and other education establishment all pledging to heed the findings of this research, we will be able to transform the skills system into something that is more agile and relevant for businesses. It is therefore imperative that we capture the opinions of a wide range of different firms, covering all kinds of industries.
That’s where the digital skills survey comes in.
Digital Skills Survey Launched
On Wednesday, 1st February, the three South Yorkshire Chambers of Commerce launched a new questionnaire, the results of which will be feeding directly into the LSIP.
Titled the “Digital Skills Survey”, this is an opportunity for businesses to tell us about the difficulties they are facing when it comes to recruiting and training their workforces to be more tech-savvy. Covering the topic from all angles, the questionnaire has sections on social media, data, software, web content, cyber security, automation, equipment usage and much more.
Given the importance of capturing this data, the respective chambers for Barnsley & Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield are all giving the survey a big marketing push between now and the end of March (when it closes). The questionnaire is currently being promoted to members online, through social media, newsletter bulletins, and via in-person events.
How You Can Help
While the chambers are committed to getting as many responses as possible for the survey, we have set ourselves a rather ambitious target. Namely we are hoping to reach 10% of the region’s businesses here, so that our findings are more comprehensive and have real weight behind them.
With that said, we need your help to spread the word.
One of the most helpful actions you can take is sharing the survey with your contacts and any businesses that you happen to work with. When doing so, make sure to emphasize that this is not just another ordinary questionnaire and that it will have a direct impact on the future of the skills system in South Yorkshire. Everyone —from the local authorities to education providers and policy makers — will be paying attention to the results, so it’s going to make a real difference
Below you will find various resources to help you raise awareness, alongside the relevant survey links that are being used to collect responses in Doncaster, Sheffield and Barnsley & Rotherham (make sure to use the right one for your area!)
Of course, don’t forget to fill in the survey yourself as well!
Social Media Resources
In Person Consultations
For those businesses who are willing to give up a little more of their time, there is an opportunity to be consulted beyond the Digital Skills Survey.
By volunteering to take part in face-to-face diagnostic interviews, firms have an opportunity to go into more detail about their experiences with the skills system and how they think it could be improved. This is obviously valuable to us, as it gives us more in-depth insights to draw from, but it’s also beneficial to the businesses themselves, as they get to have more of a say in what the future looks like and might even be to referred to existing support where relevant.
Again, if you would like to get involved here (by assisting with the delivery of some of these one-to-one interviews) then please contact southyorkshirelsip@doncaster-chamber.co.uk
Summary
- We need your help to reach as many businesses as possible with the LSIP insight gathering
- If you can just spare 5 minutes, then please share the survey link on social media using the assets provided
- If you can spare a little bit longer, then please encourage any businesses in your network to fill in the survey
- If you would like to be more actively involved, by supporting the delivery of diagnostic interviews, then please email southyorkshirelsip@doncaster-chamber.co.uk
- And don’t forget to fill in the survey yourself!
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