Economic Stakeholders
Driving Construction Skills Through Regional Partnership
Working Together to Align Skills with Economic Need
Local Government, Employer Representative Bodies (ERBs) and Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) each play a distinct but interconnected role in the success of the CTEC programme, ensuring that construction skills provision responds effectively to real economic and labour‑market needs.
Role of ERBs & LSIPs
ERBs designated to lead LSIPs provide detailed, employer‑driven intelligence on local skills needs. They:
- Supply the South West CTEC with granular insight into workforce gaps, emerging skills demands, and sector priorities.
- Support the South West CTEC and Strategic Authorities (SAs) in strengthening existing collaborations between employers and providers.
- Help initiate new joint activities where gaps are identified, ensuring training provision aligns with LSIP priorities and local labour‑market evidence.
- Participate directly in structured conversations and workshops with South West CTEC teams to surface local challenges and opportunities. 3
ERBs/LSIPs therefore act as the voice of employers, shaping South West CTEC activities and ensuring the programme remains grounded in regional economic reality.
Role of Local Government / Strategic Authorities (SAs)
Local and Strategic Authorities work alongside the DfE and South West CTECs to:
- Co‑develop South West CTEC strategy, spending plans and funding priorities.
- Share intelligence on local employer activity, major projects and planned developments.
- Ensure that South West CTEC activities build on existing regional initiatives, rather than duplicate or conflict with them.
- Coordinate engagement across FE providers, employers and other partners to embed South West CTEC activity into wider economic and skills strategies.
In devolved areas, local authorities also influence how funding streams are deployed and confirm that non‑SW CTEC providers demonstrate alignment with their regional South West CTEC when bidding for certain construction‑skills funds.
How they work together within the CTEC ecosystem
All three groups - Local Government, ERBs and LSIPs - are essential to:
- Ensuring local skills planning and South West CTEC interventions align with regional economic and demographic needs.
- Supporting the South West CTEC’s engagement with employers, schools, and training providers to develop coherent construction skills pathways.
- Helping the South West CTEC generate sub‑regional construction skills plans that reflect real workforce needs and future industry demand.
Together, they form the South West CTEC’s strategic intelligence and partnership spine, ensuring the programme is not just educationally strong but economically relevant, regionally aligned, and employer‑driven.