It is through enhancing the abilities of our young people that we can ensure they can go on to fulfil their potential.
A crucial part of securing this future is determined by what happens on a local level.
This is why I welcome the Secretary of State for Education designating the Sussex Chamber of Commerce to deliver the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) across our county.
They have been tasked with leading the development and delivery of the LSIP covering West Sussex, East Sussex and Brighton & Hove.
LSIPs are being established to help ensure the technical skills system can better meet the needs of employers and the economy more widely.
The Sussex Chamber is one of 32 accredited Chambers of Commerce which will be leading LSIPs around the country, supported by the British Chambers of Commerce.
Earlier in this parliament the Skills for Jobs white paper set out the blueprint of Government for reshaping the technical skills system.
In this document it was made clear that the success of LSIPs would depend upon sustained and effective engagement between colleges and other providers and local employers – with such employers represented through established local business membership organisations. I look forward to continuing to support the Sussex Chamber of Commerce through this initiative.
We know that Crawley has a crucial role to play in the wider economy of the south east.
Before Covid-19 struck, Crawley contributed more than one quarter of the economic output of West Sussex, while comprising only two per cent of the landmass.
Our community continues to bounce back. While most parts of the county experienced a temporary fall in job postings last autumn, our town appeared to buck the trend.
Combined, Crawley and Brighton & Hove account for around 40 per cent of all job postings in Sussex.
In 2021 I spoke in Parliament in support of what ultimately became law the following year: the Skills & Post-16 Education Act 2022. The LSIP for Sussex is backed by Government in line with the approval criteria set out in this legislation.
The Sussex Chamber recognise that with plans for the Crawley Innovation Centre joining other such sites in the county, the local ecosystem of innovation is becoming stronger and more joined up.
The collaboration of these centres with further and higher education establishments has been pinpointed as a way of securing the technical innovation that businesses require.
This will have an important role to play in creating jobs and helping identify the skills required in the years ahead.
Some 99.72 per cent of businesses in Sussex are micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises. Let us listen to them as we define skills needs on a local level.
Henry Smith MP
