Our Clients are Superfans
“Glenn delivers high quality advice and insights based on years of experience with no fuss, he just delivers the results you need.”
“Glenn’s work is highly professional, demonstrating a very high level of stakeholder management, workshop and facilitation skills.”
Local London
“Glenn is an uber-consultant, a cut above the rest.”
UK Innovation Corridor
“Glenn, Mike and Hannah delivered us a high quality and locally focused employment, careers and skills strategy and action plan that allows us to take our approach and reputation for skills to the next level.”
The Local Skills Improvement Partnership
We are a consortium of experienced advisors and consultants who have put together this site to help you deliver the best Local Skills Improvement Plan for your region
We combine our extensive experience, with findings from evidence, evaluation and guidance to provide expert advice and support to Supercharge your Local Skills Improvement Plan
This site Provides
Information about LSIPs, what they are for and who can benefit
Guidance on delivering high impact LSIPs that can transform your local skills system
We Have Direct Experience of Delivering Local Skills Plans
- Positioning organisations to be the no. 1 authority on labour market, skills and employment issues in their locality and region
- Bringing employers and training and skills providers to make the skills system work better for the local economy
- Engaging with employers and businesses to include their needs within the skills system and provision
Experience, cutting edge analysis at an affordable cost
- No-one does it better: analysis and practice at the cutting edge
- Reports you can hand to a minister: experienced pros do all of the hands-on work
- Your budget goes much further: 100% higher quality for 30% lower day rates
We Have an Outstanding Delivery Record for Local and Regional Skills Work
- South Yorkshire skills strategies: LSIP evidence base and drafting support, and support for the People and Skills Manifesto (2022/23)
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough LSIP: Quarterly reviews and events for the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce (ongoing)
- Warwickshire Careers, Employment and Skills Strategy and Action Plan (2024/25)
- Regional skills action plans for the Forth Valley Region and Tay Cities Region in Scotland (2024/25)
- Green Economy and Jobs Strategy and Action Plan for North of Tyne Combined Authority (2022)
- Vocational skills for 16-19 year olds in the West of England for WECA (2021)
- Evidence base and analysis for the Liverpool City Region Skills Strategy (2018)
Your Expert Team
Glenn Athey
Glenn (BA, MA, PhD) has 31 years of experience in local and regional skills and labour market policy and analysis. Glenn has held senior roles at Futureskills Scotland, London Development Agency, Centre for Cities, The East of England Development Agency, and Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP.
Mike Spicer
Mike (B.Sc., M.Sc.) has over 20 years of experience as an economist, business policy expert, and economic development specialist. Mike founded PolicyDepartment after a decade at the British Chambers of Commerce working as Director of Economics, Policy, and Research, building strong UK business connections.
Hannah Lazarus
Hannah (B.Sc.) has 22 years of experience as a labour market economist, specialising in skills strategies. Prior to consultancy, Hannah was an economic analyst at the East of England Development Agency, where she co-produced the Regional Economic Strategy and Implementation Plan (leading on skills and employability) and a research analyst at the East of England Skills and Competitiveness Partnership.
Experience, cutting edge analysis at an affordable cost
No-one does it better: analysis and practice at the cutting edge
Our consultants – Glenn Athey, Mike Spicer, and Hannah Lazarus – each have over 20 years of applied experience in labour markets, skills, and economics.We have held senior roles in influential organisations. We possess a deep understanding of the UK skills and employment landscape and use the latest data sources, techniques and technologies.
Reports you can hand to a minister: experienced pros do all of the hands-on work
We are very experienced professionals with a decades long track record of work. We speak the language of leaders and senior stakeholders, delivering impactful presentations and fostering trust. We deliver reports based on robust evidence and analysis that can be handed to a Minister.
Your budget goes much further: 100% higher quality, 30% lower day rate
We are a collaboration of experienced professionals with a brilliant track record. We don’t have expensive offices. We don’t need to insert partners or directors to head up projects at exhorbitant day rates whom you will never see after the inception meeting. We don’t need to cream off profits by getting inexperienced graduates to do 99% of the work. You will see that our day rates are at least 30% lower than big consultancy firms, and the quality of work, outputs and standards of management and communication you get are 100% higher.
Start Here for Local Skills Improvement Plans
New to Local Skills Improvement Plans or starting to plan for a refresh? We've put all the essential information on our revamped "Start Here" page at Start here - Local Skills Improvement Partnership A Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is a three-year plan...
Learn How to Plan your Local Skills Improvement Plan in 10 Minutes With Our Six-Step Guide!
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Education and training providers want these five things from Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs)
Education and training providers want these X things from Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) 𝟭. 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝗽: 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 To plan and make the case for education and skills provision...