Skills - particularly economically valuable skills - are a critical driver of a productive economy. Developing new skills, and putting people's skills to productive use, are both a challenge and an opportunity for South West England. 
 
The Government's challenging target of reaching the 'premier league' in economically valuable skills by 2020 is made all the more stretching by the fact that global competitors are themselves investing heavily in people and skills, and by the unprecedented scale of demographic change in the workforce.  
 
Through our leadership of the South West Regional Employment and Skills Partnership (SW RESP), the RDA continues to facilitate a demand-led approach to skills development in South West England, making the link between productivity, skills and employability. The recent Skills White Paper sets out substantial reforms to the management of 14-19 and adult skills funding. We will bring partners together to clarify how the Government's latest proposals will be put into practice, through our role on the SW RESP and the future Pre-19 Education Group. The RDA's role complements those of the public bodies whose principal responsibility is funding education and skills such as the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the Higher Education Funding Council, Jobcentre Plus and education institutions themselves. 
 
The skills and learning team has a distinctive part to play in making linkages with business and championing new approaches to delivering the skills priorities of the region as outlined by the SW RESP. Current priorities are: improving leadership and management skills; developing enterprise skills for all; developing the skills to increase individual innovation and creativity; improving learning and teaching of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) subjects and ensuring that the needs of the region and key sectors in particular, are addressed at technical and higher level.

The South West RDA focuses on the skills needs of key business sectors as well as the needs of communities in urban and rural areas where integrated regeneration programmes are being planned or delivered. 
 
Activities and projects that the South West RDA currently supports include the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), Learning Works for All (TUC), Leadership SW, the Tourism Skills Network and many other regional and sector specific skills projects. 
 
The brochure, Skillfully put: Learning for a brighter future (Adobe Acrobat Reader Document - 711.04kb) provides information on historic skills projects.