A LOCAL skills plan for sport and physical activity in Cheshire and Warrington has been launched by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)
The plan has been developed by Cheshire and Warrington Local Skills Accountability Board (LSAB),alongside local employers, education providers, local authorities, the health sector and employability-focused organisation.
It identifies key skills improvements, workforce challenges and priorities for local sport and physical activity. The aim is to develop a high quality, fit-for-purpose local sport and physical activity workforce which helps Cheshire and Warrington thrive.
According to CIMSPA diagnostic survey data, there are more than 680 companies in the sport and physical activity sector in Cheshire and Warrington, with 56 per cent of these being classed as a micro-enterprise.
This can create significant recruitment and retention challenges. For example, 28 per cent of organisations find staff training opportunities too expensive, and 22 per cent of organisations cannot release their staff for training due to capacity barriers.
The Cheshire and Warrington local skills plan for sport and physical activity aims to tackle the challenges that are impacting the local sector. There are three main recommendations: to raise awareness of sport and physical activity careers locally, to create inclusive training, employment and progression pathways that represents the local community, and to develop the capacity of the local sector workforce to contribute to Cheshire and Warrington health and economic priorities.
Rafe Turner, CIMSPA skills hub manager for Cheshire and Warrington said: “It has been a privilege to work with so many people who care deeply about their communities. The development of this plan already shows the appetite to collaborate in order to overcome some of the challenges faced in recruiting, training, supporting and retaining a fit for purpose workforce.
“The launch of this plan will raise the profile of sport and physical activity and its workforce locally and will ensure the time and energy which goes into supporting that workforce is directed towards a shared vision. I am excited to see this vision brought to life.”
James Self, strategic lead for partnerships and workforce at Active Cheshire said: “The implementation of this Skills Plan will support the development of the existing local sport and physical activity sector workforce as well as creating pathways for people across Cheshire and Warrington to come into our sector with the right skills. This in turn will help to improve our communities’ active levels supporting the health and wellbeing of all across Cheshire and Warrington.”
Sarah Emes-Young, project lead at Cheshire and Warrington Local Skills Improvement Plan said: “The CIMSPA Local Skills Plan has been very well structured and the group well organised – the collaboration activity has been brilliant.
“We have been able to directly enhance our LSIP Health and Social Care priority sector work by including sport and physical activity, and the information we’ve received and contacts we’ve made have been invaluable to our work.
“It’s now great to see that we have a clear plan for sport and physical activity for Cheshire and Warrington, supporting both employment, skills and our communities.”
Access the Sport and Physical Activity Local Skills Plan for Cheshire and Warrington: https://www.cimspa.co.uk/cheshire-warrington-lsab
