Accreditation for training providers

The Aspirational Essex Programme can help training providers find resources and support to improve their provision and visibility to Greater Essex businesses and residents.

Aspirational Essex Programme

The ambition of the Aspirational Essex Programme is to create a county full of opportunity and growth. It is a voluntary programme for people committed to:

  • making a difference to the Greater Essex skills landscape
  • developing tomorrow’s workforce.  

This includes employers, training providers, and residents.

We want to empower young people and adults to make informed careers choices when entering the labour market. We also want to help them to access quality:

  • training provision
  • career education,
  • employment support

Aspirational Essex for Providers

Aspirational Essex for Providers is an accreditation process. Its aim is to improve the standards of skills and training initiatives in Greater Essex. By becoming accredited, training providers demonstrate that they have been assessed against a robust criteria. It also establishes them as a preferred training provider for employers and residents in the region. They will receive a digital badge to:

  • showcase their accreditation
  • represent their achievement and status as a trusted training provider

This is a two-stage accreditation process open to all training providers of all sizes. It should be viewed as a development journey to advance their practices. Every training provider:

  • starts as a Committed Provider
  • sets their development path
  • becomes an Accredited Provider once they have met the assessment criteria

What You’ll Do

The accreditation requires you to demonstrate support for the following three areas of action:

  • Essex Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)
  • Greater Essex growth
  • Greater Essex skills & employability needs

Essex Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)

Meet the needs of local businesses/employers and support the priorities of the LSIP. The Essex Chambers of Commerce have been chosen by the Department for Education as lead for theLSIP. To find out more, visit the Essex Chambers of Commerce website.

Greater Essex growth

Support Greater Essex strategic priorities related to:

  • economic growth
  • development of Essex’s five economic sectors
  • green growth
  • innovation
  • prosperous and inclusive communities

Greater Essex skills & employability needs

Enable Greater Essex’s residents to access opportunities to upskill and gain employment. Work towards reducing inequalities.

Benefits for training providers

We support training providers wherever they are on their journey. The benefits of signing up to Aspirational Essex for Providers includes:

  • access to resources to enhance your training and education provision
  • a better understanding of the skills local employers need now and in the future
  • access to our digital careers tool to connect with local talent
  • a way to stand out to employers and learners
  • the opportunity to build networks within Essex’s training landscape and employers
  • the opportunity to showcase social impact and alignment with Greater Essex’s skill priorities

Training providers can tailor provision to ensure they are fit for purpose. This will help them to meet the evolving demands of the Essex job market.

How to join

Sign up to Aspirational Essex for Providers

When you register you can choose as many areas of action as you would like. Our team will contact you to help create a plan to achieve them. For further queries contact us at skills@essex.gov.uk

Aspirational Essex for Employers

Employers interested in the Aspirational Essex for Employers accreditation process can find more information on the Backing Essex Business website.