Workforce, employment and skills
We are committed to helping West Sussex businesses access the workforce they need to grow and to support skills development and employment opportunities for our residents.
Skills vision for West Sussex
Workforce and skills are key topics for the county council, evidenced in the Council Plan.
In 2023 an internal review of our skills approach culminated in a Skills Reset Action Plan, setting a new vision for skills in the county.
With the recent transfer of core Local Enterprise Partnership functions to upper tier local authorities, the launch of the Sussex Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), reflecting the needs of employers, and increasing governmental focus on skills provision, the time was right for a new, more coordinated skills vision for the organisation.
The wide-ranging plan aims to drive and enable cross-council collaboration on skills where it can add value, to better position WSCC to support a dynamic, demand-led skills system which plays to our county’s strengths, and drives local, regional, and national economic growth.
Skills Action Plan vision
“For the council to be at the forefront of the local skills agenda, working with partners to shape the skills landscape, and helping employers have the skills they need to support a dynamic and inclusive economy in which everyone contributes to the best of their abilities.”
Careers Hub
The West Sussex Careers Hub, which is hosted by West Sussex County Council (WSCC), is funded by WSCC, the West Sussex district and borough councils and The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC).
Across England, there are 44 Careers Hubs covering all areas. They work with schools, colleges, and employers to ensure careers education meets the highest standards to help every young person find their best next step.
Your local Careers Hub offers schools and colleges dedicated support to build lasting partnerships with key employers and to improve destination outcomes for our young people.
Visit the Careers Hub website.
Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)
We are pleased to support Sussex Chamber of Commerce in their role as Employer Representative Body for the Sussex Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).
Delivering the LSIP since 2021/22, Sussex Chamber have produced the Futures Skills Sussex report evidencing the skills needs of Sussex’s key sectors, and the Future Skills Sussex Improvement Framework providing guidance to help partners and agencies to work effectively together to address the Sussex-wide skills needs highlighted in the report.
For more information, the Future Skills Sussex website has a range of information and resources including the full report and Deep Dives into Sussex’s key sectors.
Apprenticeship levy transfers
Apprenticeships combine work with study to enable employees to develop skills while gaining qualifications in a specific field. They enable employers to upskill their existing workforce, or to recruit and train new staff.
As a large apprenticeship levy paying employer, the County Council is able to transfer up to 25% of its annual levy funds to West Sussex businesses to pay for high-quality training for new or existing staff, aiding business development across the county.
With the transfer of levy funds, we hope this will lead to more quality apprenticeships being created as employers are supported to take on apprentices who may not have done so otherwise.
The apprenticeship levy is giving employers a real opportunity to invest in high-quality training, helping to grow their business and get the skilled workforce they need to thrive and succeed.
In April 2021 the Local Government Association reported that West Sussex County Council had committed more than £359k through the Levy Transfer to local businesses, enabling apprenticeships in social care, the third sector, non-maintained schools, digital, engineering, design, retail, hospitality and tourism.
Nationally only around 2% of employers pay the levy but this investment funds more than 40% of the apprenticeship new starts per year. Visit our apprenticeship levy transfer funding page for information.
COVID-19 research
The challenges of COVID-19 had a marked impact on employment in West Sussex. In line with the rest of the country, we saw changes in workforce demands across the county, skills shortages in some sectors, relatively low unemployment and changes in the way in which people were working and interacting brought about by a combination of the impact of COVID-19 and the swift development of new technology.
In 2020/21 WSCC commissioned two reports to look at how the pandemic had affected employment and skills in West Sussex and to provide potential solutions to the emerging challenges for the local economy. The two reports were developed through discussion and engagement with a wide range of partners and stakeholders.