Driving Positive Change

The primary goal of the Sector Employer Groups is to advise Buckinghamshire Business First on matters impacting sectoral economic growth, particularly focusing on recruitment and skills.

These groups will actively support the development of the new Local Skills Improvement Plan, oversee its implementation, and contribute to its success. This involves identifying skills needs for Buckinghamshire employers and collaborating with post-16 technical education and skills providers to formulate effective solutions. Additionally, the groups offer excellent networking opportunities with other businesses in the sector.

What is the LSIP?

The LSIP is a government-backed initiative that places employers at the heart of the local skills system. It aims to ensure that post-16 technical education and training meets the needs of businesses, helping learners gain the skills they need to secure good jobs and supporting economic growth across the county.

The new Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)

Buckinghamshire Business First (BBF) has been appointed by Skills England as the Employer Representative Body (ERB) for Buckinghamshire to lead the development of the county’s next Local Skills Improvement Plan.

The new LSIP development process will officially launch on 27th November 2025 at the Buckinghamshire Business Showcase and AGM, marking the start of a renewed phase of employer-led collaboration. It will be delivered in partnership with Buckinghamshire Council, aligning with the council’s Economic Growth Plan, and Skills and Employment Strategy.

The new plan builds on the success of the existing Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), launched in June 2023, which is a ground-breaking report that established the specific skills priorities for Buckinghamshire and created the blueprint for how these needs can be met. Learn more about the existing LSIP and read the Progress Report here >

How to get involved and stay involved

Join a Buckinghamshire Sector Employer Group

Nobody knows the economic and workforce-related conditions on the ground better than the businesses who are at the coalface day in, day out. You are at the heart of the Buckinghamshire skills system, which is why you have a role to play in agreeing the solutions that can drive the changes necessary for employers like you.

By joining a Buckinghamshire Sector Employer Group, employers will advise Buckinghamshire Business First on issues which affect economic growth in their sector and, in particular, advise on issues affecting recruitment and skills.

The sectors represented by an Employer Group are:

• Construction
• Digital
• Engineering
• Film & TV

The work that has been done by these groups so far has contributed greatly to how the existing LSIP has taken shape - and we expect these groups to have the same impact on the new LSIP.

Want to join a Sector Employer Group?

If you would like to join one of the sector groups, please contact John Browning, Programme Manager for the Local Skills Improvement Plan in Buckinghamshire:

• [email protected]
• 01296 798774 / 07507 690892

Sector Employer Group meeting dates

The next wave of Employer Group meetings will be the first to get started on the implementation of the detail of the new Local Skills Improvement Plan.

The dates for the next Sector Employer Group meetings are below. All events are free to attend and include a light buffet lunch.

(More dates may be added in due course, so check this link for any updates, or contact John Browning via the details above.)

Film & TV Sector Employer Meeting:

• January 6th 2026, 10am - 1pm. National Film and Televsion School, Beaconsfield. Book your place here >

Digital Sector Employer Meeting

• January 14th 2026, 2pm - 5pm. Buckinghamshire New University, High Wycombe. Book your place here >

Engineering Sector Employer Meetings

• January 20th 2026, 10am - 1pm. Westcott Venture Park, nr Aylesbury. Book your place here >

Construction Sector Employer Meetings

• January 22nd 2026, 10am - 12 noon. EKFB, Westbury, nr Brackley. Book your place here >

Format of the meetings

• Meetings will take the form of informal “round table” discussions
• Meetings will take place approximately three times per year
• Meetings will be arranged to encourage networking opportunities

Purpose of the Buckinghamshire Sector Employer Groups

The key aim of the Buckinghamshire Sector Employer Groups is for employers to advise Buckinghamshire Business First on issues which affect economic growth in their sector and, in particular, to advise on issues affecting recruitment and skills.

The groups support and guide the development of the Local Skills Improvement Plan, monitor its implementation and contribute in any way possible to its success. They do this by identifying skills needs for employers in Buckinghamshire and working with post-16 technical education and skills providers to develop solutions.

Objectives of the Buckinghamshire Sector Employer Groups

1. To support the work of Buckinghamshire Business First in identifying skills and recruitment issues which may represent barriers to business growth within their sector in Buckinghamshire.
2. To provide a valuable ‘think tank’ capability to allow Buckinghamshire Business First to canvass industry views and needs on a range of wider issues relating to economic growth.
3. To provide a networking opportunity for attendees.

How to join a Sector Employer Group

Any business operating in Buckinghamshire in the relevant sector may be considered for membership of the group.

If you would like to join one of the sector groups, please contact John Browning, Programme Manager for the Local Skills Improvement Plan in Buckinghamshire, at [email protected] or 01296 798774 / 07507 690892.