LSIF Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF)

What is the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF)?

The Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) is designed to enable further education providers across a geographic area to respond collectively to the priorities in the local skills improvement plans (LSIPs). GMColleges developed a response to the LSIP, focusing on three main cross-cutting issues including digitization, net zero and the green economy. GMColleges secured over £8.4m of investment from this fund and delivered five key projects including, educational workforce, construction, health, digital and engineering and manufacturing.

Why is it important for Greater Manchester?

Employers across the city region are in need of a highly skilled workforce with the right technical skills to grow and innovate. The LSIF funding helped address the skills gap across Greater Manchester ensuring that everyone across the region had access to the training they need to grasp exciting opportunities and jobs in emerging sectors such as green skills.

How did GMColleges use the investment?

Capital investment focused on green technologies, Cisco bundles, anatomage tables and electric vehicles along with the creation of immersive learning environments.

The project saw the colleges implement a collaborative approach to enhance the curriculum offer and open up new progression opportunities through the development of new courses, improved learner experience through AI and augmented reality and provide new technologies to teach. They also developed software alongside teaching and learning resources to teach in the CAVEs, while upskilling the workforce and increasing employer contributions and partnerships.

Celebrating the collective impact

The Greater Manchester Colleges LSIF Achievements Report demonstrates how the region’s nine FE Colleges have worked collaboratively to respond the the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)objectives through £8.4 million Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) investment.

Running from November 2023 to March 2025, LSIF has acted as a catalyst for innovation — driving new curriculum design, investment in state-of-the-art facilities, and stronger partnerships with employers, universities, and sector bodies. The legacy of LSIF is not only in what has been achieved, but in the collaborative infrastructure and momentum it has created — ensuring Greater Manchester’s FE sector continues to grow, adapt, and innovate together.

A huge thank you to all the colleges, employers and partners who have contributed to this success.

Implementing real impact

Commenting on the impact of the LSIF, Chris Fletcher, contract director for the GM Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said:

“The LSIF has been one of the key mechanisms used to translate the priorities identified in the LSIP into tangible outcomes that both businesses and learners can benefit from. Whether that’s through additional courses, training for tutors or equipment that can help bring course content to life, the implementation of the LSIF has been a critical part of our mission to deliver the skills that businesses need to succeed and grow.

“The significant outcomes achieved by the team at GMColleges have started to pave the way in addressing businesses’ skills requirements, but the work does not stop here. The next iteration of the LSIP will continue to build on the data and intelligence gathered in phase one of the project, and as we identify further skills issues that need to be addressed, we look forward to continuing our relationship with GMColleges and providers across GM to ensure training provision is conducive with the needs of the future workforce.”

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