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South West

West of England and North Somerset

Local Skills Improvement Plan 2025-2028 · set by Business West Chambers of Commerce

9
Priority sectors
34
Occupations in demand
42
Skills named
7
Funding streams

Employer-led statutory LSIP for the West of England and North Somerset, produced by Business West as the Employer Representative Body and aligned to WECA's Growth Strategy and emerging Skills Strategy. It draws on 2,047 primary engagements (Oct 2025-June 2026).

What employers here asked for

  • Health & Social Care (Everyday Economy)
  • Childcare & Education (Everyday Economy)
  • Building & Construction (Everyday Economy)
  • Transport & Logistics (Everyday Economy)
  • Everyday Economy

National growth sectors

Designated by government, not chosen locally.

  • Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering
  • Digital & Technologies
  • Creative Industries
  • Clean Energy Industries

Occupations in demand

A sample: 16 of the 34 occupations the plan names.

  1. 01Engineering technicians
  2. 02Mechanical and electrical technicians / trades
  3. 03CAD / design technicians
  4. 04Automotive / EV technicians
  5. 05Qualified electricians
  6. 06Heat pump installers
  7. 07Solar PV and battery installers
  8. 08Retrofit coordinators and assessors
  9. 09Energy data analysts / carbon and energy managers
  10. 10Creative and design professionals
  11. 11Technical theatre and backstage / film and screen production roles
  12. 12Freelancers and creative entrepreneurs
  13. 13Software and programming professionals
  14. 14IT network and cyber security professionals
  15. 15Data analysts and data professionals
  16. 16AI enablement / conversational AI specialists

Jobs advertised right now

Skills named in the plan

A sample: 12 of the 42 skills the plan names, grouped by kind.

Technical

  • Green skills and net zero / sustainability awareness
  • Retrofit / whole-house retrofit
  • Heat pump installation and maintenance
  • Sustainable construction methods and infrastructure transition
  • Data analysis and data skills (Power BI, Python, SQL)
  • Cyber security
  • Engineering technician, maintenance and advanced manufacturing skills
  • Digital engineering (CAD, BIM, automation, robotics, AI-assisted manufacturing)

Digital

  • Digital and AI capability
  • Foundational / basic IT skills (Microsoft Office, Excel, data handling)
  • AI adoption, governance, safe and ethical use
  • AI literacy and prompt engineering