People and Skills

Empowering Suffolk’s Workforce for Long-Term Prosperity

A skilled, healthy, and inclusive workforce is essential to Suffolk’s economic success. Our People & Skills work focuses on helping businesses attract, develop, and retain the talent they need to thrive — now and in the future.

We bring together employers, educators, and partners to address workforce challenges, shape policy, and deliver practical support that reflects the evolving needs of Suffolk’s business community.

Our Focus

We prioritise:

Workforce development – Bridging the gap between education and industry needs
Skills innovation – Supporting upskilling, retraining, and continuous learning
Workplace health – Promoting physical and mental wellbeing at work
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) – Embedding inclusive practice in everything we do
Local development – Maximising local benefit from major infrastructure projects

Key Resources & Topics

Get Involved

Our People & Skills Group (PSG), launched in June 2021, brings together Chamber members and key stakeholders to shape this agenda. Members can:

Join regular meetings and working groups
Share insights to shape policy
Collaborate on new initiatives and partnerships

Find out the latest about the PSG here.

Latest News

on People & Skills

Norfolk and Suffolk continue to deliver success with skills engagement

Norfolk and Suffolk Chambers of Commerce have had another successful year of engaging employers and key stakeholders through the delivery of the Norfolk and Suffolk Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) and the Annual Progress Report has now been published today (Monday 30 June 2025).

Read the full article here.

Businesses united to address skills challenges in Suffolk

Business leaders from a wide range of industries gathered this month to tackle the skills challenges facing the local workforce in Suffolk. The event, which took place at Venue 16 in Ipswich, was part of the Norfolk and Suffolk Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), spearheaded by the Norfolk and Suffolk Chambers of Commerce, helping to align education and training with the needs of the local labour market.

Read the full article here.

Apprenticeship plans are "mixed bag" for business

The Government announced major reforms to apprenticeships in England today, prompting mixed reactions from business and skills leaders across Norfolk and Suffolk.

Read the full article here.

Suffolk Chamber unites businesses and education

The Suffolk Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce its continued and renewed support for Suffolk New College through its Industry Partner Programme and the upcoming FutureSkills Fair. This partnership underscores the Chamber’s commitment to strengthening the connections between businesses and education to support Suffolk’s growing economy.

Read the full article here.

For more information on our policy work or to get involved, please contact us at policy@suffolkchamber.co.uk.

People and Skills

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