DEPARTMENT FOR
INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS News Release (061/2008) issued
by COI News Distribution Service. 15 October 2008
A new three-year
agreement between the Government and employers will deliver more
skilled workers to do the jobs of the future in housing,
facilities management, fashion and textiles, Skills Minister Lord
Young announced today.
The Government will earmark more than £93m from its training
budget to tackle current and future skills shortages within these
key sectors - £69m to help the property, housing, cleaning and
facilities management sector and £24.5m to help the fashion and
textile industry. The funding will enable employers to improve the
qualifications and skills of their current workforce, offer
greater numbers of apprenticeships as well as train new recruits.
Today's announcement is part of a radical shake-up of the
skills and training system started by ministers to tackle both
current and expected skills shortages. Similar deals are expected
to be announced in the future.
Lord Young said:
"Industries such as fashion and
textiles, housing and facilities management make an important and
valued contribution to our national life. As a nation, we need
more highly trained people if we are to continue to lead the world
in an increasingly competitive global economy. Now, more than
ever, the success of our country will depend on doing even more to
increase people's skills and their ability to gain jobs.
"Radical changes we have made to the skills and training
system over the past two years helped ensure £38 billion was spent
on training by British businesses last year. That is a real
achievement but working together we can do more. We've really
listened to employers and taken action to remove barriers to
training. This latest agreement will ensure employers have access
to flexible, world-class training tailored to the specific needs
of their business, delivered when and where they need it."
In return for this funding, the Sector Skills Councils, Asset
Skills and Skillfast-UK, will use their unique understanding of
their sectors to encourage employers to take advantage of
Government initiatives such as Train to Gain, to make the Skills
Pledge, offer more Apprenticeships and ensure their staff are
given the opportunity to gain relevant qualifications and training.
Richard Beamish, Chief Executive of Asset Skills,
said:
"Train to Gain is integral to the way in which all
Asset Skills` teams work with employers throughout England. We
have a duty to ensure that they know what opportunities are to be
offered as a result of the compact; one of the other keys to
success will be our commitment to working closely with skills
brokers in every region."
Linda Florance, chief executive of Skillfast-UK
said:
"In the past, fashion and textiles employers have
often been unable to take advantage of Government support for
skills, as the programmes were not always a good fit with the
industry's priorities. Not only does this deal represent a
dramatic increase in funding support for skills - it also puts the
investment into workplace-based training, where it can make a real
difference to businesses."
Government support will be tailored to meet employers'
specific skills needs. Part of the Train to Gain budget will now
be available specifically to train employees who already hold GCSE
or A-level equivalent qualifications (level 2 and level 3) but who
need more specific, or more up-to-date qualifications in, for
example, management and leadership and customer service.
Future compact agreements will similarly rely on the expertise of
Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) to encourage employers to take up
Government skills programmes, in return for funding and support.
Those sectors in which increased investment in skills is needed to
shape a modern, competitive economy will be prioritised.
The move follows the Government's recently launched
consultation on a new right to time to train for employees, and a
renewed commitment to ensure the skills system delivers
appropriately trained people for industries employing the
workforce of the future.
Mark Haysom, Chief Executive of the Learning and Skills Council
(LSC) said:
"The LSC welcomes these sector compacts as a key part of LSC
support to employers through our Train to Gain Service. We have a
strong track record of meeting employer skills needs in these
sectors and are pleased to be working with Asset Skills and
Skillfast-UK to increase the number of employers who will benefit
from this enhanced support."
Government investment in Train to Gain will rise to over £1
billion by 2010-11, supporting over 800,000 learners to improve
their skills and gain new qualifications.
Notes to editors
1) Lord Young
Lord Young of Norwood
Green became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills and
Apprenticeships on Monday, 6 October 2008 - a role previously held
by David Lammy.
2) Train to Gain
Managed by the Learning and Skills Council,
Train to Gain is the Government's flagship service to support
employers in England, of all sizes and in all sectors, to improve
the skills of their employees, unlock talent and drive improved
business performance. An important element of Train to Gain is the
skills brokerage service which offers free impartial advice, and
helps find the best training solution from high quality and
responsive training providers to meet business needs.
Train to
Gain is important because skills shortages continue to have a
negative impact on UK productivity and competitiveness in the face
of fast-growing economies. Train to Gain aims to encourage all
businesses and individuals to value and realise the benefits that
learning and skills can bring and to invest appropriately. Train
to Gain was launched two years ago. Already 100,000 employers and
over 570,000 employees have benefited from the service. We expect
the figures to increase significantly over the next couple of
years as more employers get involved in training and improving the
skills of their workforce.
3) Sector Skills Councils
Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are
employer led and Government-licensed organisations established to
improve the skills of the UK workforce to boost productivity and
competitiveness. There are 25 of them, covering approximately 85%
of the UK workforce.
4) Sector Compacts
Sector Compacts are non-contractual
agreements between the DIUS, the LSC and SSCs. Compacts provide
SSCs with access to additional resource to work with the LSC and
Train to Gain brokerage service to encourage employers to take
advantage of Apprenticeships and the Train to Gain offer and sign
up to the Skills Pledge. To date, compacts have been announced
with the construction, hospitality, process, science and
technology and justice sectors. For more information see: http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/ttg/latest/
5) Asset Skills
Asset Skills is the Sector Skills Council
(SSC) for the property, housing, facilities management, cleaning
and parking industries. Asset Skills works with business, public
and professional bodies and learning providers to ensure the
training employers need is available to meet their current and
future skills needs.
Anticipated outputs from the new
agreement will include:
* Minimum 5,000 employer engagements
and referrals to Train to Gain Skills Brokers in England;
* An
increase of 22,685 learners at full Level 2 NVQ above the current
baseline figure, of which 70% will be first achievements and 30%
repeat achievements (263 Team Leading and 1,455 Customer
Service);
* An increase of 3,404 full Level 3 NVQs above the
current baseline figure, of which 80% will be first achievements
and 20% repeat achievements (1,104 Management and Leadership and
513 Customer Service);
* 2,500 Skills Pledge
commitments;
* 2,500 Management and Leadership outcomes;
*
2,500 Apprenticeships starts; and
* 1,234 Skills for Life achievements.
6) Skillfast-UK
Skillfast-UK is the Sector Skills Council
(SSC) for fashion and textiles which helps employers to compete in
a global market, by ensuring access to a skilled workforce,
capable of delivering added-value products and
services.
Anticipated outputs from the new agreement will include:
* Minimum 1,500 employer engagements and referrals to Train to
Gain Skills Brokers in England;
* An increase of 8,000
learners at full Level 2 NVQ above the current baseline figure, of
which 70% will be first achievements and 30% second
achievements;
* An increase of 2,500 learners at full Level 3
NVQs above the current baseline figure, of which 80% will be first
achievements and 20% second achievements;
* 1,000 Skills
Pledge commitments;
* 200 Management and Leadership
outcomes;
* 500 Apprenticeships starts; and
* 600 Skills
for Life achievements.