Skills Sub-group

The Skills Sub-group brings together expertise across a wide-range of public and private employers, education providers and stakeholder groups.

Working with our OxLEP Skills team, the Skills Board look to achieve improvements in the skills and abilities available to Oxfordshire’s employers and the learning opportunities available to young people, our residents and wider-workforce.

They are committed to:

• Having a current understanding of skills needs and priorities across Oxfordshire
• Strengthening links between business and providers of learning
• Improving skills and business support provision to employers
• Building stronger links with county and regional employment/skills bodies
• Raising aspirations and economic well-being

Chair: Richard Byard (Acting Chair)

 Other sub-group members:

• Nico Decourt: Head of Educational Partnerships, Directorate of Marketing, Recruitment & Engagement Member –  Oxford Brookes University
• Kate Berman: Operations Director – Olamalu
• Jo Lynch: Senior Partnership Manager, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire District (Covering Imelda Goldsboro) – Department for Work and Pensions
• Vacant: Lisa Lyons (starts Feb 24): Director for Childrens' Services – Oxfordshire County Council 
• Prof Ewart Keep: Director, SKOPE – University of Oxford
• Richard Kennell: Managing Director – SOFEA
• Eddy McDowall: Executive Director – Oxfordshire Association of Care Providers 
• Richard Byard: Director of Business Development –  OxLEP 
• Neil Brookes: Group Executive Director – Activate Learning
• Alexander Brandham: Group Leader UK Apprentice Programmes – BMW (UK) Manufacturing Ltd
• Joanna Hart: Space Partnership Director – Space Partnership
• Mark Vingoe: Chief Executive Officer – Engineering Trust 
• Paul Jones: Apprenticeships Lead – Oxford Professional Education
• Mark Wood (RESIGNED, Claire Farrow replacing form awaited): Chief Operating Officer – Reaction Engines Ltd 
• Chris Meah: Chief Executive Officer – School of Code
• Cllr Susan Brown: Leader of Oxford City Council/Head of Media and Staff Communications – Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/Oxford City Council
• Emily Manser: Area Lead for Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, Oxford to Cambridge and East Anglia team Areas Directorate, Cities and Local Growth Unit – Cities and Local Growth Unit
• Clayton Lavallin: Economic Development Team Leader – Oxford City Council

Review upcoming and past sub-group meetings

Skills Advisory Panel:

From 2019, the Oxfordshire Skills Board has taken on the additional responsibilities of the Skills Advisory Panel (SAP) for the Department of Education (DfE) continuing to bring together key partners and stakeholders to strategically plan for an improved skills infrastructure for the benefit of Oxfordshire's communities. 

The primary role of the Skills Advisory Panel is to:

"Bring together local employers and skills providers to pool knowledge on skills and labour market needs, and to work together to understand and address key local challenges. This includes both immediate needs and challenges and looking at what is required to help local areas adapt to future labour market changes and to grasp future opportunities. This will help colleges, universities and other providers deliver the skills required by employers, now and in the future."

_{Skills Advisory Panels: Guidance on the role and governance, DfE, 2018}

Local Skills Report and Plan:

The Skills Advisory Panel Local Skills Report and Plan complements and supports the ambitions and priorities of our Economic Recovery Plan over the short term and the Local Industrial Strategy (LIS) over an extended period, to drive recovery and economic renewal, whilst building a resilient and inclusive economy for the future.

Download our Local Skills Report and Plan 

Download our Local Skills Report and Plan Annex A and B

Download our Skills Strategy