Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce (TVCC) has launched the Thames Valley Skills Commission to provide strategic, employer-led leadership for skills, workforce development and technical education across the Thames Valley.
The Commission, chaired by Joanne Harper, CEO of Activate Learning Education Trust (ALET), will bring together employers, education providers, local authorities and policymakers to strengthen the region’s future workforce, unlocking opportunity, driving prosperity and supporting sustainable economic growth.
It builds on the Chamber’s leadership of Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) and its manifesto commitments to shaping future skills and providing regional leadership. In July 2026, TVCC published a ten-point plan to unlock the full potential of the Thames Valley economy, which was shared with the new Prime Minister. The plan sets out priorities to strengthen business confidence and ensure that one of the UK’s most productive economies remains central to the nation’s future growth. It includes a call to act swiftly on the Milburn review in addressing employment costs for young people, and to reform the growth and skills levy further.
As the structures for devolved power in the Thames Valley develop, TVCC is uniquely positioned, as the region’s Employer Representative Body (ERB), to convene employers, educators and civic leaders to create a coherent regional approach to skills development, technical education and workforce planning.
At the Commission’s first meeting in mid October, its priorities and objectives were presented and approved as its terms of reference. Beyond the strategic aims in coordinating skills, economic and workforce development, the body will target tangible action on strengthening technical and vocational pathways from age 14 onwards and coordinating action to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Paul Britton, Chief Executive, TVCC, said:
We are bringing together an impressive array of educators and employers to undertake an important role in measuring up the significant changes to the skills system and ensuring they are fit for the unique needs of the Thames Valley. By working at scale across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Swindon this will help lay the foundations for an effective consortium to deliver and support a potential devolution agreement with Government
Joanne Harper, CEO, ALET said:
At issue here is how we design our curricula at all age groups from 14 upwards and into adult education, to best suit the needs of individuals, serve our communities and drive the economic prosperity of the Thames Valley. The support for the Skills Commission shown by strong employers, excellent education providers and committed civic partners at this meeting demonstrates that we are ready grasp this opportunity to create a leadership body for skills recognising that academic, technical and vocational education are not separate endeavours but interconnected pathways that together enable individuals, communities and our economy to thrive
