Sector Skills Development Agency

DRIVING THE SKILLS AGENDA FROM THE DEMAND PERSPECTIVE

Getting the skills agenda right is crucial to government policy - not least because it is central to increasing UK productivity and global competitiveness. The framework is in place. Government has made far-reaching changes and improvements to the education of 14 to 19-year-olds, with a vocational ladder providing alternative routes for young people. This extends from key skills such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to vocational GCSEs, GNVQs, Graduate Apprenticeships, Modern Apprenticeships, and Foundation Degrees - which provide another way for people to access Higher Education.

Historically, providers and funders have driven the agenda for education and skills. Until now, there has been a major element missing - a collective employer voice to qualify what sort of skills specific sectors need, so that UK businesses can recruit the right people, at the right time, for the right jobs. To achieve this, the engagement of employers with partners at local and regional level is particularly important. And it is relevant to all types of businesses, from major global organisations to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Much is already being done. In the devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales and in Northern Ireland, for example, new approaches are adding to the richness of the solutions being offered in England. But alongside the geographical approach, there has been an increasing focus on the value and role of UK-wide strategic industry sectors - a focus which has set the stage for a new, influential UK-wide Skills for Business network.

About Skills for Business (SfB)
The network has a tremendous amount of support from the decision-makers in government. At the Sector Skills Development Agency's (SSDA) Skills Convention in November 2002, government ministers - including Gordon Brown, Charles Clarke, Patricia Hewitt and Ivan Lewis, together with Iain Gray from the Scottish Parliament and Jane Davidson of the Welsh Assembly - gave their support and backing.

The Skills for Business network is well funded too. Each Sector Skills Council (SSC) will receive at least £1 million a year to help them achieve their main strategic aims, with more money for those with particular needs or excellent productivity-enhancing projects.

The strategic aims of SSCs

To reduce skills gaps and shortages
To improve productivity, business and public-service performance
To increase opportunities to boost the skills and productivity of everyone in the sector
To improve supply including apprenticeships, higher education and national occupational standards.

To achieve these aims, SSCs work in partnership with a range of other organisations such as Regional Development Agencies, the Connexions Service, Learning and Skills Councils, University for Industry and others, complementing the national and regional work already underway with an employer-led, sectoral approach.

The real key to tackling skill deficiencies lies with employers being centre-stage in decisions about skills, business development and productivity performance. If this resulted in an increase in productivity by just one-tenth of one per cent-above trend by each Sector Skills Council, it would generate £10bn more output over the next ten years. I sincerely hope you will help and support us in our efforts to help make this happen.

For up-to-date details about the Skills for Business network and to view examples of the work of Sector Skills Councils, visit the Sector Skills Development Agency's website (www.skillsforbusiness.org.uk). To view back issues of 'Intelligence' or to request a free subscription visit www.skillsforbusiness.org.uk and click on the 'Intelligence' link.

THE ROLE OF THE SECTOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) was set up in April 2002 to develop, licence and co-ordinate the Skills for Business network. The agency has a number of roles:

Developing the Skills for Business network
This involves encouraging expressions of interest from employers to form new Sector Skills Councils; ensuring that businesses of all sizes are properly represented in any bids; helping to develop and ultimately licence these new SSCs; sharing and disseminating good practice; and developing products, services and a network which responds to actual needs and has a real economic impact.

Since August 2002, the SSDA has worked in support of some 45 sectors or combinations of sectors, helping them get involved in the new system. As the SfB network grows the SSDA will monitor, support and measure its activities to ensure that SSCs are effective, credible and influential, and that standards are high and consistent.

Facilitating skills for business
The SSDA picks up tasks such as the promotion of standards and frameworks, treating them proactively at a strategic level. The agency contracts with experts and key players within sectors and builds on the experience and expertise that employers already have within both public and private organisations.

Championing skills for business
As well as representing the needs and concerns of the SfB network to government and its public agencies, the SSDA co-ordinates the intelligence and labour market information gathered by Sector Skills Councils so that it is coherent, meaningful and strategic. This involves establishing frameworks for research with key stakeholders and co-ordinating and adding value to the information coming through from each one.

Disseminating and sharing market intelligence
Updated each day by the SSDA's Policy and Research team, the agency's intelligence portal 'One_Stop' (www.skillsforbusiness.org.uk/onestop) is free to access and offers:

Statistics about skills shortages in specific industries
The latest labour market information
A fresh angle on qualifications that are relevant to individual job roles
Details of academic and professional organisations that exist within specific sectors
UK economic information.

For ease of access, all information is divided into the following sub-portals:

Major UK Statistics
Labour Market/Employment
Learning/Qualifications
SMEs
Sectors
Academic and Professional Organisations
Regions
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Economy/Finance
International
Opportunities for ALL
Sustainable Development.

In partnership with the Policy Research Institute, the SSDA also produces an executive e-mail briefing each month entitled Intelligence, which details recent policy developments and research findings. A weekly electronic news bulletin, Involve, keeps people informed of progress within the Skills for Business network.

The Sector Skills Development Agency (www.skillsforbusiness.org.uk) is situated at 3 Callflex Business Park, Golden Smithies Lane, Wath-Upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire S63 7ER. Tel: 01709 765 444; E-mail: info@ssda.org.uk

THE DEVELOPING SKILLS FOR BUSINESS NETWORK

The new Skills for Business network is still developing. At the time of writing (May 2003) it consists of three types of organisations. The first two Sector Skills Councils received their full five-year licences in April 2003; five 'trailblazer' Sector Skills Councils have already been establishing new ways of working during the first year of their two-year licences; and a further eight organisations are 'Sector Skills Councils - In-Development' working towards full five-year licences.

The Skills for Business network will cover around 85 per cent of the total UK workforce by early 2004. The Sector Skills Development Agency will take responsibility for covering the remaining workforce in addition to its other duties.

Sector Skills Councils
Name: e-skills UK (www.e-skills.com)
Sector: Information Technology, Telecommunications and Contact Centres
Sector Coverage: Systems development; technical support; network support; line repairers/jointers; IT strategy and planning; software professionals; operations technicians; user support engineers; database assistants; telecom engineers/line repairers/cable jointers; ICT management and web designers.

Name: SEMTA (www.emta.org.uk)
Sector: Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Industries
Sector Coverage: Basic metal manufacture; metal products; mechanical equipment; electronics; electrical equipment; motor vehicles; aerospace; other transport equipment; building and repairing of ships, boats, railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock; motorcycles; bicycles.

'Trailblazer' Sector Skills Councils
Name: Cogent (www.cogent-ssc.com)
Sector: Oil and Gas Extraction, Chemicals Manufacturing and Petroleum Industries
Sector Coverage: Oil and gas exploration and extraction; chemicals manufacturing and processing; petroleum refining, blending, storage and distribution; forecourt operations; oil-fired heating services; manufacture of aviation fuels, bitumen and inks.

Name: Lantra (www.lantra.co.uk)
Sector: Environmental and Land-based Industries
Sector Coverage: Agricultural livestock and crops; animal care; animal technology; aquaculture; environmental conservation; equine; farriery; fencing; fisheries management; floristry; game conservation; land-based engineering; landscaping; productive horticulture; tree and timber; veterinary nursing.

Name: Skillfast-UK (www.skillfast-uk.org)
Sector: Apparel, Footwear and Textile Industries
Sector Coverage: Textile production; technical textiles; man-made fibre production; manufacture of clothing and allied products; leather production; manufacture of leather goods; manufacture of footwear; shoe repair; linked retail; associated design.

Name: Skillset (www.skillset.org)
Sector: Audio Visual Industries
Sector Coverage: Broadcast; film; video; interactive media.

Name: Skillsmart (www.skillsmart.org.uk)
Sector: Retail Industry
Sector Coverage: All UK retailers.

'Sector Skills Councils - In-Development'
Proposed Name: Automotive Skills Council (www.mitc.co.uk)
Sector: Sales, Maintenance and Repair of Vehicles
Sector Coverage: Providers of servicing, maintenance, repair and valeting services; bodyshops (repairers, rebuilders and refinishers); vehicle inspection and MOT testing; specialist sellers and fitters of parts, accessories and motor fuels; vehicle rental, leasing and fleet management and insurance; roadside assistance and recovery.

Proposed Name: CITB (www.citb.co.uk)
Sector: Construction
Sector Coverage: Building; civil engineering; specialist building services.

Proposed Name: Proskills (www.proskills.org.uk)
Sector: Six Process and Manufacturing Industries
Sector Coverage: Glass; extractives; coatings; refractories and building products; paper; furniture.

Proposed Name: Skills for Health (www.skillsforhealth.org.uk)
Sector: UK Health Sector
Sector Coverage: The four UK health departments and all key stakeholders within the health sector.

Proposed Name: Skills for Logistics (www.skills4logistics.org)
Sector: Freight Logistics Industry
Sector Coverage: Freight transport by road; storage and warehousing; activities of other transport agencies; courier services; air freight (other scheduled air transport); rail freight (other transport via railways); freight inland sea and coastal water transport.

Proposed Name: skillsactiveUK (www.ccpr.org.uk/ed&trainskillsactiveuk.htm)
Sector: Sport, Physical Recreation and Active Leisure
Sector Coverage: Sport; recreation; children's play; health and fitness; outdoor education; training; caravans; recreation and adventure.

Proposed Name: SummitSkills (www.summitskills.org.uk)
Sector: Electro-technical, Heating, Ventilating, Air-conditioning, Refrigeration and Plumbing Industries
Sector Coverage: Designers, installers and maintenance engineers of electro-technical heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, refrigeration and plumbing; oil and gas fitting, design, installation and maintenance.

Sector: Hospitality Training Foundation (www.htf.org.uk; www.ttento.co.uk)
Sector Coverage: Hotels; restaurants, pubs and bars; hospitality services; contract catering; holiday parks (some aspects); caravan parks (some aspects); youth hostels; travel services; tourist services; events; gambling and betting; clubs, dance halls and discos; visitor attractions.

Sector: Justice and Custodial Care (www.cjnto.org.uk/www.ccnto.org.uk/www.psso.co.uk)
Sector Coverage: Prison services; immigration detention; court and secure escort services; electronic monitoring; military corrections; probation services; youth offending schemes; victim support; crime reduction and community safety; police forces; prosecution services; judiciary and magistracy; court management and administration.

Sector: Food and Drink
Sector Coverage: General foods including plant bakery and ingredients; soft and alcoholic drinks; sea fishing; meat and poultry including abattoirs; dairy and dairy products; craft bakery.

Sector: Synergy
Sector Coverage: Primary energy (excluding nuclear power generation); utilities (gas and water); renewables; waste management sector.

Supplied by courtesy of Margaret Salmon, Chair, Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA)