Relicensing of Sector Skills Councils

Relicensing of Sector Skills Councils Sun 18 Oct 2009 Sector Skills Councils Relicensing - Further Decisions Announced Four Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) have been relicensed, Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary Lord Mandelson announced today, on behalf of the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations. Sector Skills Councils are employer-led bodies, established to enable employers to exert influence on the UK’s education and skills systems to ensure they meet their needs. All four have been successful in their application for a further trademark licence to operate as SSCs and have gone through a comprehensive assessment process led by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. The successful SSCs are: Skills for Health (health); SkillsActive (active leisure and learning); Improve Ltd (food and drink manufacturing and processing); Skills for Justice (policing & law enforcement, youth justice, custodial care, community justice, courts service, prosecution service and forensic science) The position of a fifth Sector Skills Council, Skills for Care and Development, which covers social care, children, early years and young people, is the subject of further work across Government, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and the SSC. This action is being undertaken in full partnership. It is no reflection upon the performance of the SSC but a reflection of the complex policy context in each country. Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary Lord Mandelson said: “Employers can be confident that the four Sector Skills Councils relicensed today after tough assessments will continue to provide them with a first class service in meeting their skill needs.” Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Employment and Skills in Northern Ireland said: “The Sector Skills Councils play a key role in the implementation of the Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland and I am delighted that a further four have been successful in retaining their licenses. I look forward to continuing to work with them towards developing the future skills agenda in Northern Ireland.” The relicensing process is overseen and managed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills through a panel chaired by Charlie Mayfield, who is also chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. He said: “Sector Skills Councils are the principal mechanism by which employers can exert influence over the UK’s education, skills and training systems. As such, it is vitally important that they operate effectively. The relicensing process has been designed to ensure just this, and the announcement that a further four SSCs have reached the required standards is an endorsement of their effectiveness. The renewal of these licences also gives confidence to the government that each of these SSCs is truly backed by its industry, has the support of employers and is properly equipped to identify the skills needs of its sector.” The NAO reports and the recommendations of the Relicensing Panel are available at both www.ukces.org.uk and www.nao.org.uk

Sun 18 Oct 2009

Sector Skills Councils Relicensing - Further Decisions Announced

Four Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) have been relicensed, Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary Lord Mandelson announced today, on behalf of the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations.

Sector Skills Councils are employer-led bodies, established to enable employers to exert influence on the UK’s education and skills systems to ensure they meet their needs.

All four have been successful in their application for a further trademark licence to operate as SSCs and have gone through a comprehensive assessment process led by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

The successful SSCs are:

Skills for Health (health);

SkillsActive (active leisure and learning);

Improve Ltd (food and drink manufacturing and processing);

Skills for Justice (policing & law enforcement, youth justice, custodial care, community justice, courts service, prosecution service and forensic science)

The position of a fifth Sector Skills Council, Skills for Care and Development, which covers social care, children, early years and young people, is the subject of further work across Government, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and the SSC. This action is being undertaken in full partnership. It is no reflection upon the performance of the SSC but a reflection of the complex policy context in each country.

Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary Lord Mandelson said:

“Employers can be confident that the four Sector Skills Councils relicensed today after tough assessments will continue to provide them with a first class service in meeting their skill needs.”

Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Employment and Skills in Northern Ireland said:

“The Sector Skills Councils play a key role in the implementation of the Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland and I am delighted that a further four have been successful in retaining their licenses. I look forward to continuing to work with them towards developing the future skills agenda in Northern Ireland.”

The relicensing process is overseen and managed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills through a panel chaired by Charlie Mayfield, who is also chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. He said:

“Sector Skills Councils are the principal mechanism by which employers can exert influence over the UK’s education, skills and training systems. As such, it is vitally important that they operate effectively. The relicensing process has been designed to ensure just this, and the announcement that a further four SSCs have reached the required standards is an endorsement of their effectiveness. The renewal of these licences also gives confidence to the government that each of these SSCs is truly backed by its industry, has the support of employers and is properly equipped to identify the skills needs of its sector.”

The NAO reports and the recommendations of the Relicensing Panel are available at both www.ukces.org.uk and www.nao.org.uk