The Sport and Physical Activity Sector Release First Local Skills Plan for Oxfordshire
Alongside local employers, education providers, local authorities, the health sector and employability-focused organisations, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) have implemented a local skills plan for sport and physical activity in Oxfordshire.
Developed by the Oxfordshire Local Skills Accountability Board, the plan identifies key skills improvements, workforce challenges and priorities for local sport and physical activity, as well as recommendations and actions to shape future work in the area.
In Oxfordshire, health inequalities are high on the agenda - only half of children achieving recommended activity levels, and less than 10% of children being able to swim in the most deprived areas. They are also dealing with an ageing population – 121,000 people are aged over 65, with 20,000 older people experiencing loneliness.
As well as this, Oxfordshire is experiencing a tightening employment market, with sport and physical activity feeling the effects – 249 Oxfordshire employers in the sector have been competing for the same pool of talent over the past 12 months.
Embedding a Skills Hub Manager into local regions nationally, CIMSPA have been working with key stakeholders in local areas to establish Local Skills Accountability Boards with the main outcome being to understand local priorities within their given county.
The plan has three key recommendations: to create a workforce that is inclusive and representative of those currently facing inequality in sport and physical activity in Oxfordshire, establish stronger relationships between education providers and employers, and to support the improvement of physical and mental health and wellbeing of the people of Oxfordshire.
The aim of the plan is to help the local sector recruit, support and retain a representative, inclusive and skilled workforce ready for employment, which will in turn contribute towards building a healthier and active local community.
As outlined in our strategy ‘Releasing The Power Of Our Profession,’ interventions such as the Local Skills Plans will deliver the individual and collective recognition that our sector workforce needs and deserves and will position our sector exactly where it needs to be to contribute to the health and wellbeing of our nation.
