Rising employment costs, pressure on training providers and barriers to apprenticeships are among the biggest skills challenges facing businesses across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, according to the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce.
The Chambers have written to MPs across the county to highlight the issues affecting employers and training providers, calling for urgent reforms to ensure businesses can continue to invest in skills and workforce development.
As the lead organisation for the area’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), the Chambers say its work with employers across sectors including manufacturing, construction, health and social care, logistics, clean energy, digital and the creative industries has revealed growing concerns over the impact of recent national policy decisions.
Among the key issues raised are rising employment costs, with almost half of businesses surveyed saying cost is now the biggest barrier to investing in training. The Chambers say increases to employer National Insurance contributions, alongside rising wage costs, are making it increasingly difficult for businesses to recruit apprentices and upskill existing staff.
The letter also highlights concerns over changes to the Growth and Skills Levy, arguing that shorter timescales for using levy funds and higher co-investment rates risk discouraging employers from taking on apprentices.
The Chambers are also calling for greater flexibility around the requirement for apprentices to spend 20 per cent of their time off the job, saying the rule is particularly difficult for employers in sectors such as construction, health and social care, manufacturing and logistics.
Further concerns include proposals to remove funding for Level 4 and 5 management apprenticeships, financial pressures facing training providers and a lack of further education capacity to meet future demand without significant capital investment.
The Chambers have invited Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire MPs to attend an autumn roundtable, which will bring together business leaders from across priority sectors to discuss the challenges facing employers and the practical impact of national skills policy.
Stuart Elford, CEO of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, wrote: “We are not writing to oppose the Government’s ambitions on skills. We share them.
“We would like to invite you to an Employer Skills Roundtable in autumn 2026, bringing together business leaders from across our priority sectors to discuss skills pressures, workforce challenges and the practical impact of national policy decisions.
“The businesses that can best make the case are already talking to us. We would like them to talk to you too.”
