The Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce (TVCC) was appointed in 2022 by the Secretary of State for Education as the designated Employer Representative Body (ERB) for the Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) across Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

LSIPs are a national initiative funded by the Department for Education, designed to place employers at the heart of post-16 technical education and training. Their purpose is to ensure the skills system responds directly to business need — supporting recruitment, workforce development and sustainable economic growth.

Post-16 technical education spans individuals aged 16 through to retirement, whether entering employment, progressing in their careers, retraining, or returning to the workforce.

Since our appointment, the Thames Valley LSIP has built one of the region’s most extensive employer engagement programmes.

• 2,900+ employers have directly participated in consultation, workshops and sector activity
• Engagement has reached almost 100,000 wider business contacts
• 20 Employer Champions have led sector-focused initiatives
• More than 250 businesses are actively engaged in workforce development activity
• £5 million of LSIF investment has supported 45 new courses, over 1,400 learners, and significant enhancements to local training facilities
• 100+ employers have directly contributed to course design

This collaboration has strengthened alignment between employers and training providers, delivering practical, employer-led solutions across priority sectors including health and life sciences, construction, logistics, hospitality, manufacturing, care and the creative industries.

The Thames Valley LSIP:

• Identifies critical knowledge, skills and behavioural gaps across key sectors
• Evaluates how effectively current post-16 provision meets employer demand
• Aligns skills development with local growth plans, industrial strategy and emerging priorities such as Net Zero and inclusive opportunity
• Embeds a strong, ongoing employer voice within the skills system
• Delivers pragmatic, actionable solutions that create measurable regional impact

Employer insight remains our guiding compass. Our role is not only to highlight challenges, but to drive meaningful, lasting change.

As LSIP 2.0 progresses, we are focused on deepening employer engagement, strengthening sector collaboration, and ensuring skills provision across Berkshire and Oxfordshire remains agile, responsive and future-focused.

Together, we are building a skills system that reflects real business need and supports long-term growth across the Thames Valley.