3.3 Investing in workforce development

Oxfordshire's unemployment level is low, which means that a significant number of the current working population must receive training and investment in their skills if Oxfordshire is to increase its productivity.

A high proportion of organisations in Oxfordshire are still recording recruitment difficulties (8% have hard to fill vacancies), skill shortage vacancies (5%) and skill gaps (21%), all of which impact upon their ability to ensure productivity growth.

What is necessary is skills support for knowledge-intensive, medium-sized businesses with growth potential, and technical and managerial skills for high technology businesses. Workforce development needs to be demand-led and barriers to employer engagement in workforce development identified and tackled.

Success in skills development relies on putting employers’ needs at the forefront of the design and delivery of training and supporting individuals in gaining the skills and qualifications that they need to achieve the quality of life they want, including improving their employment prospects.

Where this has been done, there has been some notable success, for example, the Centre of Vocational Excellence (COVE) in Engineering Practice and Productivity. SEEDA is working with the South East Business Links, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the Sector Skills Development Agency, and Quality South East to create a core Regional Skills Brokerage Model, which supports workforce development through the provision of skills and broader business support packages. Nationally, Sector Skills Councils and, regionally, SEEDA's sector-based activities aim to enhance the supply and demand for skills from key sectors