QIA Excellence Gateway

In this section, the importance of carrying out an analysis of local needs as a vital part of the Whole Organisational Approach is highlighted. Making use of benchmarking and other data to measure your organisation's performance will help you to assess progress towards local and national targets. The LSC publishes data annually on levels of success, retention and achievement in further education colleges throughout the UK.

Local needs analysis - things to consider

• For estimates of adult skills need for literacy, numeracy, information communication and technology, and ESOL across England, visit the Skills for Life survey.
• LSC's Skills for Life Leadership and Management Programme has a module called ‘Getting to know local needs'.

• Download the National Employer Skills Survey (NESS).

• Your Regional Development Agency (RDA) will have drawn up a Regional Economic Strategy to tackle priorities in your region.

• Both national and regional data relating to employment, unemployment, wages, average earnings, local vacancies and productivity is available from the National Statistics website.

• Data on learners in the workplace can be found on the Sector Skills Development Agency website, Skills for Business.