LSIP embarks on skills survey in build up to employer forum

The LSIP has also announced details of its next employer forum, with a focus on careers and work experience when it brings together employers and training providers at the MKM Stadium on Monday 9 February – the beginning of National Apprenticeship Week. full details are to be announced but you can register your place now!

LSIP Project Lead Hannah Crookes said: “A new version of LSIP will come into effect from the summer 2026 and we’re asking employers to influence its development.

“We are keen to understand their key priorities and the changes needed to ensure our education and skills provision is more closely aligned to employer and local labour market needs.”

A link to the survey can be found on the LSIP website and employers are asked to send their responses by the end of December in time for discussion at the next forum.

Hannah added that registration for the forum is open now and strong interest is expected in keeping with the turnout at previous events, including a near full house at the University of Hull in November.

Hannah said: “We brought together leaders from health, care, further education, higher education and industry to focus on our region’s workforce needs and it was fantastic to see the level of engagement and enthusiasm.

“At a time when all our partners and stakeholders are so busy with their day-to-day responsibilities their attendance at LSIP events makes it clear that they see training and skills as big priorities.”

The LSIP Forum in November featured dramatic scenes of an ambulance on the campus. In addition some hard-hitting figures about staff shortages in health and social care underlined the connection between poor health and economic inactivity.

A simulation of a road accident enabled the University team to demonstrate some of the medical training it provides, from caring for a roadside casualty to delivering treatment in hospital and guiding a service user through independent living facilities and then rehab and physio.

Presentations by speakers from Skills for Care revealed the challenges facing the sector as demand for services rises, and an audience dominated by health and social care providers shared the experiences of their day to day workload.

Bethany Simmonds, Locality Manager (Yorkshire, Humber & North East) at Skills for Care, and her colleague Angela Thompson, Transformation Lead for the region, outlined some of the factors that make adult social care a high demand and high growth sector in Hull and the East Riding.

Key messages included the impact of sickness absence and poor health as a significant drag on productivity. Improving the capacity and quality of the social care workforce is seen as key to reducing long-term sickness and supporting greater labour market participation.

Bethany said: “It was a real privilege to visit the University and see its impressive, state-of-the-art simulation facilities first hand. These spaces give students and employers the chance to learn practical skills that will strengthen this vital sector for the future.

“It’s vital that health and social care are fully included in the LSIP, recognising this foundation sector as key to building a strong workforce and a thriving region.”

Zach North, Director of Apprenticeships at the University of Hull and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences, said the LSIP Forum provided a valuable opportunity to think collectively about what our communities need, particularly within health and social care, now and in the years ahead. 

Zach added: 

“Opening our doors and taking partners ‘behind the scenes’ is essential. It allows employers, training providers and local leaders to see the breadth of our expertise, our facilities and the environments where we educate the next generation of clinicians and professionals, while also offering lifelong learning for those already in the workforce. 

“We welcome conversations about bespoke or tailored workforce education and training and recognise the importance of co-designing this to shape it to meet specific employer needs and regional priorities.  

"By creating space for events like this, we can ensure that people across the Humber have access to the high-quality education and training that will support them throughout their careers. the enthusiasm and engagement at the Forum demonstrated the shared commitment to building a skilled, confident and future ready workforce and we are proud to be a part of that."