Local Government has access to remarkable labour market data, however, this data is not linked to local learning and employment opportunities, which is a missed opportunity.
Cambridge and Southampton Local Authorities have come together to address the skills gap by investing in a new feature on Navigatr that links digital badge pathways representing local learning initiatives with live jobs using Labour Market data powered by Lightcast.
A powerful new Skills Tag Suggestion Tool is being launched which suggests jobs relevant skills for badges, pathways and activities. It will benefit Local Authorities, employers and providers by helping them build career pathways that link to local job opportunities and provide them with data to monitor their effectiveness.
The aim is to address the skills gap by connecting learners with employers, and providing valuable data on the effectiveness of different skills programs for local authorities.
Michelle Lord FRSA, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Region of Learning, Skills and Opportunity Manager at Cambridge City Council said: “The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Region of Learning and XP is a valuable resource for young people who face disadvantages in the area. It also provides a solution for employers that struggle with skill shortages. To ensure its success, we must track which activities are effective for specific individuals and understand the reasons behind their success. The newly introduced Jobs Feed feature will not only enhance career opportunities but also generate essential data we need to improve local services. This is an exciting development for the region.”
Jodi Fair, Programme Manager at Southampton City Council said: “We have collected many insightful skills reports, but now we need to use the data to connect people with job opportunities. We will use live labour market taxonomy embedded into badges and pathways to help residents discover learning and provide feedback to inform our skills strategy. We are really excited about the potential outcomes of addressing skills gaps and helping learners reach their full potential.”
Omid Mufeed, CTO at Navigatr said: “The vision right from the beginning has been to connect people with jobs based on their skills. To do this we needed to make sure that skills are consistently described across learning and work. We are excited to announce our latest update which includes the introduction of Navigatr Smart Tags. With the help of Lightcast Big Data, this tool assists you in creating badges and pathways that align with the job market by incorporating relevant skill tags. We are confident this new development will lead to improved career paths and give employers a new way to recruit based on people's skills.”
Launching on March 31st 2023, register for our upcoming webinar with Lightcast on 30th March to see a preview: https://lightcast.io/uk/resources/webinars/data-powered-digital-badges-to-bridge-local-skills-gaps
