Sectors (Priorities, Contacts for SSCs)
WHAT IS A SECTOR SKILLS COUNCIL?
There are 25 Sector Skills Councils (SSC) for the UK workforce. Together they form the Skills for Business Network (SfBN).
Each SSC works to agree priorities and targets with its employers and partners to address four key goals:
- Reducing skills gaps and shortages
- Improving productivity, business and public service performance
- Increasing opportunities to boost the skills and productivity of everyone in the sector’s workforce, including action on equal opportunities
- Improving learning supply, including apprenticeships, higher education and national occupational standards
THE NATIONAL SKILLS ACADEMY
The National Skills Academy Network is a national network offering excellence in skills training. Although often based in physical locations around the country, it is a virtual network where employers set out their needs, and the skills academies work with training providers to deliver training that meets these needs.
SOUTH WEST REGION CONTACTS
The South West Sector Skills Councils – Contact Details is a spreadsheet which contains the names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses for local SSC contacts.
ALLIANCE OF SECTOR SKILLS COUNCILS
Launched on 1st April 2008 the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils is a collective body made up of all 25 licensed UK SSCs, The full extent of the Alliance’s scope will develop over time, but its core purpose is to:
- Act as the collective voice of the Sector Skills Councils
- Promote understanding of the role of SSCs within the skill system across the four home nations
- Co-ordinate policy positions and strategic work on skills with stakeholders across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Help build the performance capability of the SSCs, to ensure they continue to work effectively on the employer-driven skills agenda
- Represent and co-ordinate the strategic work of the SSCs to stakeholders across the four home nations.
For more information visit the Alliance’s website.
THE UK COMMISSION FOR EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS
Launched on 1st April 2008 The UK Commission For Employment And Skills (UKCES), which was set up as a result of Leitch, operates across the UK and plays a central role in raising the UK’s skills base, improving productivity and competitiveness, increasing employment and making a contribution to a fairer society. It will play a critical part in securing for the UK the ambitions of achieving a world class profile on skills by 2020 and the aspiration of an 80% employment rate.
For more information on UKCES please visit their website.
SECTOR COMPACTS
Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) have the primary responsibility for shaping and stimulating employer demand for training including approving vocational qualifications for their sector. They can also stimulate demand for the Skills Pledge.
A key part of Plan for Growth is to build on the strong track record for joint working with SSCs to ensure every sector has a clear commitment to champion Train to Gain and a strategy for joint investment.
Sector Compacts are non-contractual agreements between DIUS, the LSC and a Sector Skills Council to work collaborativelyto drive up demand for skills through Train to gain. In return for additional flexibilities in Train to gain, the SSC will stimulate demand for higher volume of skills in their sector; the LSC will deliver flexibilities specified in the compact.
Following launch of the first Sector Compact – SEMTA - four Sector Compacts with Cogent, Skills for Justice, People First and Proskills are in the final stages of agreement. An additional six Sector Compacts will be launched by September 2008.
Train to Gain Sector Skills Compact
General Q&A
1: What is a compact?
A compact makes a reality of “something for something” deal called for by Lord Leitch’s report on skills. Compacts are non-contractual agreements between the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills, the Learning and Skills Council and a Sector Skills Council to work collaboratively to drive up demand for skills through Train to Gain. In return for additional flexibilities in Train to Gain, the SSC will stimulate demand for higher volume of skills in their sector; the LSC will deliver the flexibilities specified in the compact.
2: Why have compacts?
Train to Gain Plan for Growth (published by the Learning and Skills Council in November 2007) sets out a series of “flexibilities” to ensure that Train to Gain could begin to address some of the feedback from employers that TtG rules were too rigid. One of those flexibilities was to create sector specific compacts.
3: Does this mean Train to Gain is too bureaucratic? Will this compact make it more bureaucratic still?
We are always looking for ways to make it easier for all users, including employers, to engage with TtG. The sector focus and expertise provided by Semta in this compact will support this aim. The additional outputs from this compact will be delivered by new or existing providers within the existing TtG system ie employers choose the provider and the money follows delivery.
4: What flexibilities are on offer?
Each compact will be different but so far ideas we are looking at include funding learning at levels 2 and 3 for people who already have a qualification at that level but who need retraining or upskilling to meet new demands; assistance with marketing and communications to get the skills message out to employers more quickly; and paying for a sector manager to lead on driving up skills and making Train to Gain the vehicle to do that.
5: Who can have a compact?
The aim is to have a compact for every SSC that wants one and who can deliver a significant increase in demand for skills from employers. We will also explore the potential of such approaches to skills needs for large cross-sector projects, like Thames Gateway, the 2012 Olympics, Crossrail and Worldskills.
6: Why have compacts – what do they do that is new?
For the first time compacts will put SSCs centre stage in helping shape Train to Gain. They are a new mechanism for engaging SSCs on the future direction of Train to Gain, so that future skills needs can be more quickly identified and met at a national sectoral level. This will mean that Train to Gain can do even more to help tackle employers’ skills needs.
7: How long does a compact last?
Each compact will be different, and elements in each compact may run for different lengths of time. They are partnerships in which we and the sector can learn how best to drive up demand for skills and then build on what works best. We start with the plan that each compact will run for three years with reviews at six monthly intervals.
8: How are compacts paid for?
Funding is from existing Train to Gain budgets. The deal is that if an employer is willing to invest in the skills of their staff, then the compact will ensure that the product is right, that the price is agreed and that it is backed by appropriate Government funding. If the demand does not come through then the funding associated with that compact will flow to another sector compact where demand is rising.
9: How many compacts are being negotiated at the moment?
We are in discussions on seven (excluding Semta) and also in discussions with a variety of bodies on a compact to ensure Train to Gain makes a significant contribution to the 2012 Olympics. [IF PRESSED until we have agreed details in each case we prefer not to name the sectors concerned –there is no objection to the sectors declaring their own involvement.]
10: Will compacts really help with skills shortages?
Yes; compacts go to the heart of the skills debate identified by Lord Leitch. Compacts provide a partnership approach between Government and industry so that we can unlock the talents and get the best out of our people. In particular, compacts will make TtG more attractive to employers with little or no recent history of skills training for their employees.
Semta specific questions
11: What is Semta doing as their part of the compact?
Semta will drive up the demand for skills in their sector dramatically. The anticipated additional outputs over two years include
· 20,000 full level 2 achievements
· 10,000 full level 3 achievements
· Over 3,000 skills pledge commitments
· 3,000 leadership and management grants awarded
· Over 3,000 Skills for Life achievements; and
· 3,000 apprenticeship starts.
12: What are DIUS and LSC doing in return?
To help Semta engage with employers and reach, or exceed, the anticipated outputs, DIUS and the LSC will
· Fund training at levels 2 and 3 for those already qualified at that level where the training meets specific economic needs, in this case as training at level 2 and 3 in Business improvement Techniques*
· Earmark £65m from the existing Train to Gain budget to pay for training and other components of the compact;
· Fund Semta to engage employers in a self-analysis of their skills needs so that Train to Gain skills brokers can quickly advise employers on their business needs and appropriate skills solutions
· Help Semta develop sector specific marketing materials to fit in with national Train to Gain marketing plans; and
· Fund Semta to employ a sector-based Train to Gain manager to make the compact a success.
* BiT Business improvement Techniques looks at improving a company’s performance in the areas of quality, cost and delivery by applying lean principles
