In my experience as an advisor to local and city leaders, it’s worth remembering these 10 key points:

1️⃣𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀, and can be withdrawn and deployed at the worker’s discretion.

2️⃣𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗳𝘆 – they can be attitudes or personal attributes, as much as technical understanding and qualifications.

3️⃣Some employers can find it difficult to fully understand the current and future skills needs, or plan for and delivery recruitment and skills development. Some employers lack the capacity, capability and/or resources to diagnose skills needs and deliver to them. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝟱𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀. This is makes it hard to respond to employer skills needs – if the employers themselves don’t know what they are.

4️⃣Employers and workers tend to operate in an 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁, where workers are mobile. This can make it challenging to implement simple solutions or measures.

5️⃣Employers and individuals have 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 about skills, qualifications and jobs.

6️⃣𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 to change education and skills provision. They also need stable, long-term funding platforms.

6️⃣𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁. Particularly in an era of labour shortages and an ageing workforce.

7️⃣𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, who provides what, what is available, and this can lead to disengagement.

8️⃣𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 “𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿-𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀” 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀. Employers mostly aren’t interested in attending quarterly meetings with the public sector, but if you ask them – skills is usually the highest ranking priority where the public sector has a role.

9️⃣For me – local skills policy and delivery its about ensuring that 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆-𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀 for the employer to train up into the job roles they require.

🔟Finally – and crucially, the economy and labour market are 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰. They are a series of flows and transactions, and are not static. Labour and skills needs and requirements change over time. The supply of labour changes with demography and immigration policies. This presents some significant challenges for governments, employers and education and training providers.