NEWS

Skills planning ‘vital’ to better engage Gen Z

Skills planning is ‘vital’ to better engaging Generation Z with the workplace, says the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

The report analysed Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) and found that they have engaged thousands of people and employers in the training and education that firms require.

However, the business group also found that the ‘fragmented’ nature of funding and a limited scope to target young people has led to a range of opportunities being missed.

A number of prospects have been identified to unlock potential, the BCC said.

These include a lack of influence in education for under-16s, opportunities to replicate the system for business support and more effective engagement with young people.

Kate Shoesmith, Director of Policy at the BCC, said:

‘LSIPs have been really successful – involving thousands of businesses, training providers and learners over the past four years, to deliver great employment outcomes.

‘But with almost one million Gen Zs not in employment, education or training, earlier intervention is essential to connect young people to the world of work.

‘The longer they are allowed to drift away from employment the harder it becomes. By linking the government’s Youth Guarantee scheme to ERBs who have strategic oversight of their local economies, a pathway into work can be created.

‘The tools required to do this already exist through LSIPs. It is just a matter of giving them the long-term funding and authority to make it happen.’

30/04/2026