Cumbria’s Local Skills Improvement Plan explained: what it means for workers, businesses and training
A new plan aims to make training across Cumbria better match the skills that local employers need.
Cumbria’s Local Skills Improvement Plan, known as the LSIP, covers the period from 2026 to 2029.
It has been developed by Cumbria Chamber of Commerce. With input from hundreds of employers, colleges, universities, councils and other organisations.
The plan focuses on gaps in the local workforce. And how education and training providers can respond more quickly.
What is a Local Skills Improvement Plan?
A Local Skills Improvement Plan is designed to give employers a stronger voice in post-16 education and training.
Rather than colleges and training providers deciding alone which courses to offer, businesses are asked which skills they struggle to recruit and which abilities their staff will need in future.
The aim is to create a closer match between the training available and real job opportunities.
This can include:
- College courses
- Apprenticeships
- University-level education
- Skills bootcamps
- Short workplace courses
- Non-accredited local training
The LSIP does not attempt to cover every job or skills shortage in Cumbria. It instead concentrates on the issues employers and partners consider most urgent.
Which industries are being prioritised?
The latest Cumbria plan identifies several parts of the economy where skills shortages could hold back growth.
Its current priority sectors are:
- Construction
- Energy, low-carbon and land-based industries
- Manufacturing and engineering
- Social care
- Tourism and the visitor economy
These industries employ thousands of people across the county and are expected to remain important over the coming years.
Digital skills, artificial intelligence and robotics are also likely to receive greater attention because they affect businesses across almost every sector.
Why does Cumbria need a skills plan?
Cumbria has several large industries with growing workforce needs.
Major energy and defence projects require engineers, technicians, construction workers and other skilled staff. At the same time, employers in care, hospitality, farming and tourism often struggle to fill vacancies.
The county’s geography can create further challenges. People may live a long distance from a college or training centre, while limited public transport can make courses harder to reach.
Some businesses also find it difficult to understand which training is available or how to access funding.
The LSIP aims to make the system easier to use while ensuring courses prepare people for jobs that are available locally.
What could it mean for young people?
For school leavers and younger workers, the plan could lead to clearer routes into employment.
Colleges and training providers may introduce new courses, update existing qualifications or work more closely with employers.
Students could also receive better information about which industries are recruiting and the skills needed to enter them.
This does not mean every course will focus only on current vacancies. The plan also considers future demand, including growth linked to clean energy, automation and new technology.
Better links between employers and education providers could also create more work placements, apprenticeships and opportunities to gain practical experience.
What could it mean for adults already in work?
The LSIP is not limited to young people.
One of its aims is to make training more accessible to adults who need to learn new skills or change career.
That may include shorter courses, flexible learning, workplace training and programmes that fit around family or employment commitments.
Workers may need to update their skills as businesses adopt new software, artificial intelligence, low-carbon technology or automated equipment.
The plan also recognises that people need clear advice about the training available and how one course can lead to the next.
How could local businesses benefit?
Employers are expected to play a central role in shaping the plan.
Businesses can explain which vacancies are hardest to fill, which skills are missing among applicants and how their industry is changing.
Training providers can then use that information when planning courses and facilities.
In practical terms, businesses could benefit from:
- More applicants with relevant skills
- Training designed around real workplace needs
- Easier access to colleges and training providers
- More opportunities to train existing staff
- Better coordination between different skills programmes
The plan also aims to encourage employers to invest more in staff development rather than relying only on colleges or government-funded schemes.
Will it guarantee more courses?
The LSIP identifies priorities, but it does not automatically guarantee that every proposed course will receive funding.
Colleges, universities and training providers must consider demand, staffing, facilities and available budgets.
However, the plan gives them evidence that can support decisions about new courses and investment.
It can also help government departments understand where funding and support are most needed.
The Chamber says the LSIP is intended to be a working document rather than a report that is published and then forgotten.
Progress will continue to be reviewed, with businesses and other partners invited to contribute until at least 2029.
Who is involved?
Cumbria Chamber of Commerce is leading the work, but the plan involves a wider group of organisations.
These include employers, local councils, colleges, universities, Jobcentre Plus, business groups and careers services.
Sector organisations involved include Cumbria Tourism, the Federation of Small Businesses, the National Farmers Union and construction and engineering training bodies.
The Chamber says people representing disadvantaged groups, those with disabilities and learners facing barriers should also be involved.
This is intended to make sure the plan considers who can access training, rather than focusing only on the number of courses available.
How can employers take part?
Cumbria Chamber of Commerce is continuing to seek feedback through surveys, workshops and direct discussions.
Businesses do not need to be Chamber members to contribute.
Employers can share information about recruitment problems, future workforce plans and gaps in current training.
The LSIP team can be contacted through joe@cumbriachamber.co.uk.
A list of local colleges and training organisations is also available through the Chamber’s LSIP page, including Furness College, Kendal College, Lakes College, Carlisle College, the University of Cumbria and several independent providers.
What happens next?
The 2026–2029 Local Skills Improvement Plan has now been published.
The next stage will involve putting its actions into practice and measuring whether training becomes more responsive to local employers.
Its success will depend on continued cooperation between businesses, educators and public bodies.
For workers, the aim is to create clearer and more accessible routes into skilled employment.
For employers, it is intended to improve access to the people and abilities they need to grow.
For Cumbria as a whole, the plan seeks to prevent skills shortages from holding back major projects, essential services and the wider local economy.
