Labour Market
The West of England has the greatest proportion of highly qualified workers outside of London and the skill base is enhanced by the strong academic accomplishments of four excellent Universities and a number of high performing further and higher education colleges. This skills base is set to be further accentuated by ongoing skills development programmes in key sectors and a new Skills Academy for South Bristol.
Alongside national and regionally funded schemes, there are also a number of skills initiatives currently underway in the sub-region to enhance connectivity between employers and potential workforce, particularly where skills needs have been identified. The West at Work programme is a partnership project aimed at supporting the economy by making sure that local people have the appropriate skills and opportunities to meet employers’ needs, both now and in the future. The project covers the West of England area and is based on the principle of coordinated partnership working between organisations that have strong links with businesses, jobseekers, community organisations and the training and education sectors. While working initially in construction and retail in the early stages of the programme due to the significant number of major development projects in the city region, priority sectors extend to Construction, Retail and Tourism, Food and Drink, ICT and Media, Financial Services and Call Centres, Logistics, and the Public Sector. Further information on this programme can be found on the West at Work website.
