Workforce and organisations

People Culture Skills

Prioritising the sectors workforce

Launched in June 2022, the People Culture Skills work has very much taken hold across Essex, to strengthen and support individuals, instructors, leaders and coaches to be highly skilled and ensure a thriving sector where a human centred approach is nurtured.

Active Essex has made significant progress in strengthening the People, Culture & Skills (PCS) landscape across Essex. In a rapidly changing national and local environment, an external strategic review was commissioned to understand progress, highlight gaps, and shape future priorities. The review confirmed Active Essex’s strong leadership role, the solid foundations already in place, and a clear roadmap to embed a more skilled, diverse and resilient workforce across the physical activity, skills and employability system.

Who is it for?

The sport and physical activity sector in Essex

Prime Objective:

to recognise, support and develop the sectors workforce

Second Objective:

to create a people-centred culture to thrive

Over the past year, Active Essex has undertaken a comprehensive journey to enhance the PCS landscape. A full external review was commissioned in Summer 2025, examining strengths, gaps and future opportunities. This has since been followed by detailed internal discussions with the Active Essex Board and Leadership Team, helping shape next steps.

The PCS framework has been strengthened through the five‑pillars model: internal development, system capacity, skills and careers pathways, employability, and wider economic development. This work has also deepened relationships with employers, LSIP, DWP, ECC, training providers, and embedded PCS within Place Partnerships and wider strategic priorities.

key stakeholders were interviewed as part of the external review

strategic pillars now underpin the strengthened PCS framework

Skills Advisory Board (SAB) meetings were held this year, with the Skills Review on every agenda

Active Essex has acted as a place‑based leader and strategic convener, and the team has played a critical role in uniting partners, shaping shared priorities, and advancing the PCS agenda across Essex. This includes workforce development, supporting locally trusted organisations, strengthening skills and careers pathways, driving employability initiatives, and amplifying the voice of the sport and physical activity (SPA) sector.

Active Essex has also helped influence the Skills Advisory Board, expanded employer engagement, strengthened connections with LSIP 2.0 and DWP, and ensured the SPA sector is recognised as a key contributor to health, skills and economic growth.

The Active Essex People, Culture and Skills Work is having an increasing impact on the local landscape. There is now recognition of the importance of the sector to the local economy, jobs, opportunities and its broader relevance in areas such as health. There is also an understanding of the importance of elements such as volunteering and the key role the sector can play in this regard. Importantly, this is translating into key aspects of skills strategy and funding such as the LSIP which will drive local skills provision and funding into the future which will further secure the important status of the SPA sector locally

Louise Aitken, L Aitken Skills, Essex LSIP

Key Learnings

It's important to take time to reflect and understand the learnings from work undertaken, to focus on ways to improve in the future.

Landscape

Rapid skills changes create opportunity and complexity across Essex

Disconnected

Sector remains disconnected; micro‑businesses need clearer support routes

Narrative

Unified message needed to articulate sport sector’s full value

Indicators

Skills and employability indicators must embed across strategic frameworks

Active Essex’s leadership has already generated wider system benefits. The SPA sector is now recognised as a priority within LSIP 2.0, raising its profile and influence. Partnerships between employers, FE/HE, DWP and the VCSE sector have strengthened, and there is now greater shared understanding of how PCS contributes to economic growth, prevention, and community wellbeing.

The work ahead is structured around short‑term actions, scaling opportunities and long‑term ambition:

Quick Wins

Develop a unified narrative and communication plan for the sector
Strengthen DWP partnerships and continue influencing LSIP 2.0
Increase capacity to drive programme delivery
Develop SPA‑specific SWAP and explore apprenticeships and volunteering pathways
Build employer engagement models

Embedding and Scaling

Prepare for commissioning opportunities under emerging MCA and devolution arrangements
Establish systematic processes for funding and opportunity tracking
Formalise the role of the SAB with membership aligned to future system needs

Active Essex becomes the recognised place‑based leader for Skills, Work & Health, driving system change, supporting workforce resilience, and strengthening economic and social outcomes across Essex.