The latest SKOPE research paper ‘ In the DNA or Missing gene? Devolution, local skills strategies and the challenges of inclusive grow addresses the issue of how well the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are coping with their role in relation to local skills strategies and their preparations for the impending devolution of the Adult Education Budget (AEB). In particular, are the LEPs able to move beyond simple, traditional skills supply models and start to join up skills issues with improving pay and job quality, innovation and broader industrial strategy and economic development? The evidence from the research that this paper reports upon suggests that many LEPs are struggling, due to capacity issues and a lack of strategic direction.
The paper has been written by Jonathan Payne, based at the business school at De Montfort University, Leicester. Jonathan worked as a researcher in SKOPE for many years and has a long-standing interest in how skills link to work organisation, job design and economic development.