A Skills Action Plan has been launched to help Liverpool City Region employers fill a record increase in job vacancies since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The strategy, launched by Mayor Steve Rotheram, comes after a £9.4m training and careers programme was unveiled in December that will expand the Be More apprenticeship portal and help plug skills gaps and support up to 10,000 people next year.
According to the annual LCR Skills Report, increased demand for people to fill job roles pushed recruitment advertisements to a high of 20,000 per week in December last year – up from a pre-pandemic figure of 12,000.
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Mr Rotheram said: "Our region’s people will always be its most precious resource and I want to do everything possible to put them in a position to succeed.
"Having started my career as an apprentice, I know the life-changing impact that decent training opportunities and good careers advice can have – I want everyone to have the same chances to succeed.
"For far too long, people in our region have been held back not by a lack of talent, but a lack of opportunity. A lack of joined up thinking has too often stifled us. Through the combined authority we're putting that right with unified skills plans like this.
"We know that the journey to economic recovery can’t and won’t be made overnight. But we’re taking significant steps now to invest in our region’s future by identifying the skills we need for the jobs in years to come.
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"By doing that hard work now, we’ll be able to connect a highly-skilled pool of local workers with well-paid, secure jobs."
The Skills Action plan was approved by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority at a recent meeting.
Joanne Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool and Combined Authority portfolio holder for education, skills, equality and diversity, added: "The economic crisis caused by the pandemic has been incredibly challenging for people and businesses in the city region.
"This has exacerbated a number of the longstanding issues we face, with women, people from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds and those with a disability in particular requiring additional focus and support.
"Getting a job, training or apprenticeship is absolutely life changing but too often we hear of people who find it hard to access opportunities. We are determined to support businesses and people so that both can thrive."
Asif Hamid, chief executive of The Contact Company and chair of the Liverpool City Region Skills Board, said: "It is vital that we tackle the skills gap as having an experienced and qualified workforce will be key to us making devolution a long-term success and growing our economy.
"Prior to this Covid-19 economic crisis, the city region was performing well, and seeing increases in employment and decreases in unemployment and economic inactivity.
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"We have made progress in supporting more people into work, improving the qualifications and skills of our residents, and broadened our work with employers to identify, communicate and respond to skills needs.
"We need to ensure that this momentum is sustained, to improve the productivity of businesses and prosperity of residents."