The brand-new South East Skills website is designed to provide a one-stop repository of information, including data and intelligence, guidance and opportunities for skills and digital training information for both businesses and individuals.
Developed by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) Skills Advisory Panel (SAP) and Digital Skills Partnership (DSP), partly in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people seek to upskills their digital capabilities or are seeking retraining opportunities.
South East Skills features information on apprenticeships, T-Levels, digital skills training and local courses on offer to South East residents. It also features a comprehensive resource bank for the South East’s local training providers and skills sector.
For Residents
It is recognised that this is a very confusing area to get information and the South East LEP has been working with its partners, businesses and providers to ensure clear and easily accessible information for those looking to learn new skills. The new website also provides a trusted repository of information for what is on offer in the South East, so residents using South East Skills can be sure they are being offered legitimate programmes and authentic training.
There is a selection of free local and digital courses on offer, as well as information on the South East DSP’s various partnerships with leading career and learning platforms such as Coursera, Microsoft and FutureFit AI.
For Businesses
South East Skills includes guidance for businesses who are looking to become more tech-savvy in the wake of COVID-19, featuring information on programmes from Amazon, Google Digital Garage and Digital Boost that businesses can take advantage of.
It will also provide a home to the wealth of useful information, resources, case studies and videos to help navigate the South East skills landscape. This includes insight into the benefits of taking on apprentices, with a range of videos from businesses explaining what they have gained from their apprentices.
For Educators
This website will assist educators to offer adults and young learners the tools they need to seek new career opportunities, learn new skills or completely reskill to enter a new industry.
For training providers and those in the skills sector, the website also features detailed labour market information and skills data including various sectors from SELEP’s Skills Advisory Panel, which is an employer-led local partnership established with the Department for Education to strengthen the link between public and private sector employers, local authorities, colleges, providers and universities and to pool knowledge on skills and labour market needs.
The Skills Advisory Panel (SAP) represents a major opportunity to drive forward further change and deliver results with employers at the forefront. It is made up of industry experts across a range of fields which are important to the South East economy including construction, transport and logistics, creative, digital, education, tourism and food production. Sector infographics on the South East Skills site provide headline sector information such as average salaries and the size of the sector and links to further resources such as job opportunities, training and support. Information will be updated and added to regularly.
SELEP Skills Advisory Panel (SAP) Chair Helen Clements said:
“From the Skills Advisory Panel perspective, we’re so pleased to be launching this new website, enabling us to share the wealth of information, data and resources we produce and have access to. There’s an awful lot going on at the moment in the skills and employment landscape and a lot of help on offer. With increasing requests for information and data this website helps us to make this widely available.
“More than that, it will enable our employers and wide range of partner organisations to share their information and for us to showcase all the great work happening across our geography.”
South East DSP Working Group joint chair Alison Parmar, Development Manager at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said:
“This new website is a fantastic step forward. For the South East Digital Skills Partnership, southeastskills.org.uk affords members a fantastic means of sharing news and useful digital skills resources for businesses, charities and individuals across the region.
“We’re particularly delighted to share the first iteration of our Digital Skills Prospectus, something we hope will become increasingly important for individuals and organisations wanting to improve their digital knowledge and capability.”
The website contains a first blog from South East LEP DSP Coordinator James Wilkinson on digital skills and training in the South East, as well as a news section to stay up to date with the latest news and information regarding skills, training and apprenticeships in the South East. Webinars and partner events will be detailed in the site’s calendar section to provide easy access to all upcoming seminars, training days, conferences and other relevant events.
To find out more, head to southeastskills.org.uk.