Mission 1: Talent and Future Skills

To secure the county’s long-term economic resilience and productivity, we must invest in our talent pipeline by delivering a robust skills programme. With an ageing population and increasing demand for high-skilled roles, our focus is on attracting and retaining working-age people to the county by enhancing Gloucestershire’s appeal as a place to live, work, and study.

We will achieve this by raising awareness of the diverse career pathways available within the county. Gloucestershire must be seen as a destination of choice for education, enterprise, and opportunity.

Strengthening education and skills infrastructure

We aim to position Gloucestershire as a leading county for further and higher education. Building on the success of Cheltenham and Cirencester as university towns, we will grow Gloucester’s identity as a vibrant university city and promote the technical excellence of our colleges across the county. This includes strengthening links with the University of Gloucestershire, Royal Agricultural University, Hartpury University and College and expanding access to courses aligned with our core economic strengths and emerging high value sectors - such as green industries, cyber, engineering, and advanced manufacturing.

Our ambition is to attract more people to study in Gloucestershire and encourage them to build their futures here. To do this, we will support our universities and colleges as centres of excellence - driving innovation, research, and skills development that meet the needs of a rapidly evolving economy. We will work with business to encourage entry level/graduate employment opportunities and enable the delivery of affordable and high-quality housing.

We also recognise the importance of inclusive growth. That means supporting a broad skills programme to include cyber, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, hospitality, food services, healthcare, retail, and education, with a particular focus on initiatives that promote social mobility, community wellbeing, and access to opportunity for economically inactive residents and those facing health or other challenges.

Connecting education, skills, and talent development with economic needs

Gloucestershire boasts a highly skilled population and a strong reputation for educational excellence. Yet, disparities in educational attainment remain across communities, often reflecting wider social and economic vulnerabilities. These gaps can restrict opportunities to access employment, reduce income potential, and undermine long-term wellbeing.

To address this, we will strengthen collaboration between education providers and employers to better align local training opportunities with the evolving needs of the economy. Existing initiatives such as the Gloucestershire Careers Hub, CyNam, and Employer Representative Bodies are already playing a vital role in connecting young people with local opportunities and nurturing future talent.

Projected growth in green, cyber, digital, engineering, and advanced manufacturing sectors highlights the urgency for greater digital inclusion and stronger industry-education partnerships. The increased use of AI and digital technologies may lead to job displacement in some areas, but this also presents opportunities for innovation and competitive advantage. We will work with industries to understand these nuanced impacts and expand retraining and reskilling opportunities - ensuring transparency and collaboration between employers, employees, and policymakers.

By aligning education, skills, employer needs and economic development, Gloucestershire can build a future-ready workforce and ensure that all residents can contribute to and benefit from the county’s growth.

Mission 2: Supporting Employment Opportunities for all