Centre for Excellence in Leadership
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CEL leads by example with skills pledge
The Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) has signed up to the skills pledge, which was announced at a launch event hosted by the Department for Education and Skills in London on Thursday 14 June 2007.
The introduction of a skills pledge was recommended by Lord Leitch in his Review of Skills, and CEL was one of the first employers in England to make a public commitment to helping all its employees develop their skills.
CEL’s chief executive Lynne Sedgmore said, "The Leitch review identified that the UK needs a major step change in its skills performance to improve growth, productivity and social justice whilst competing in a rapidly changing global economy. We recognise the importance of employer engagement and investment in skills in achieving this, and as an employer, intend to lead by example. We will go beyond the commitment to basic skills, actively encouraging and supporting our employees to develop their potential, gain wider skills and acquire valuable qualifications.
"Building a culture of learning requires leadership, and as the agency responsible for developing organisational leadership in the further education system, we clearly have an important role to play. To deliver the recommendations set out by Lord Leitch, the FE system will have to evolve, and we will work with leaders and managers to help them address the challenges they face and cascade the promotion and importance of skills development throughout their organisation and communities.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About the skills pledge
The skills pledge is a voluntary, public commitment by the leadership of a company or organisation to support all its employees to develop their basic skills, including literacy and numeracy, and work towards relevant, valuable qualifications to at least Level 2 (equivalent to five good GCSEs). The purpose is to ensure that all staff are skilled, competent and able to make a full contribution to the success of the company or organisation.
The pledge can be given by the chief executive, chief operating officer or other board member, on behalf of the organisation. It is a corporate commitment covering the whole company or organisation. For those employees who do not already have a full Level 2 qualification, the government will provide funding to help them gain basic literacy and numeracy skills as well as their first full level 2 qualification.
The skills pledge is open to all employers of all sizes in the private, public and voluntary sectors.
About CEL
The Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) was launched in October 2003, as a key national agency within the Success for All initiative.
CEL has a crucial role to play in developing organisational leadership in the further education system to anticipate, influence and respond to government policy initiatives, including, for example, the 2006 white paper, "Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances".
CEL's remit is to foster and support leadership improvement, reform, transformation, sustainability and quality improvement. It serves the existing and future leaders of all providers within the further education system, including FE colleges, training and work-based learning providers, adult and community providers, offender learning, specialist colleges and voluntary organisations.
Following the publication of the white paper, CEL is involved in the introduction of a mandatory principal's qualification and the development of the quality improvement strategy for further education.
The white paper also heralded an expansion of CEL's diversity and equality remit.
CEL now operates through a charitable trust formed by its operating company on 1 April 2006.
To date, more than 680 different organisations and 25,800 individual participants have engaged with CEL. No fewer than 15 participants from recent cohorts of CEL's Senior leadership development programme (SLDP) have been promoted to the role of principal.
For more information, visit the website at www.centreforexcellence.org.uk
CONTACT
Centre for Excellence in Leadership:
Lindsay Baugh: (07736) 246 697 or (01707) 392 552
