REACH AND IMPACT

The northern skills network is a collaborative force across the north of england dedicated to continuously championing further education & skills through 5 major priority areas.

Priority Areas

The Northern Skills Network (NSN) is proud to be a partnership of eight local provider networks across the North of England. Together, our members represent over 500 training providers and key stakeholders. This diverse group of members includes Independent Training Providers (ITPs), Further Education (FE) Colleges, VCSE Organisations, Local Authorities, Universities, Employer Providers, Awarding Organisations, and more. Our collective strength and shared commitment drive the advancement of vocational and technical education, fostering economic growth and development in our region.

Provider Representation

The Northern Skills Network is made up of multiple regional networks across the North. Together, we represent over 500 individual FE & Skills organisations and all delivery partners for the pan-Northern Adult Skills Fund. Highlights include:

Employer Engagement

The Co-Chair networks of the NSN were both contracted an SME Engagement project from the Department for Education from October 2022 – October 2024. The aim of the contract was to engage previously disengaged (for a minimum 24 months) SMEs with apprenticeship provision. The contract was to act as a Pathfinder for the DfE aimed to better understand the position of Northern SMEs in the apprenticeship landscape.

School Engagement

The Apprenticeship Support & Knowledge for schools programme (ASK), is a national scheme. Four of the regional NSN networks deliver ASK across their respective regions. The delivery partners across the North are:

  • Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network
  • Greater Merseyside Learning Provider Federation
  • Lancashire Work Based Learning Executive Forum
  • Yorkshire Learning Providers
  • Tees Valley Learning Provider Network

The Northern Skills Network gathered information
from each of the delivery partners to share and combine quantitative and qualitative information across the North to
highlight the positive impact of ASK.

Combined Authority Alignment

The Northern Skills Network Manifesto outlines strategic priorities aimed at enhancing skills development across the North of England. These priorities align closely with the northern Combined Authority’s objectives.

NSN’s Key Priorities:

  • Future-Proofing the Provider Base: Ensuring the sustainability and adaptability of education and skills providers to meet evolving demands.​
  • Demand for Skills Across the North: Addressing regional skills shortages by aligning training programmes with local labour market needs.​
  • Advocacy and Collaboration: Engaging with stakeholders and policymakers to influence skills policy and promote best practices.

Read more about the CA priority alignment here.

With the NSNs reach, it means that the entirety of Adult Skills Funding across the North is delivered by NSN members. A total of approximately £381 million, covering over 50,000 employers.

Roundtables & Events

The Northern Skills Networks holds conferences annually (interchanging across the Pennines every year) for our members and our members’ members. The conference summaries can be found on our events page.

We also hold regular roundtables focusing on timely key themes in the skills landscape on both a Northern and national level. We feature speakers from all walks of industry, government, and social impact areas.

Go to events