Skills for
Logistics, the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the logistics
sector, has been given a further trademark licence to operate as
an SSC, Business 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.
Skills for Logistics has gone through a comprehensive assessment
process led by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and
been successful in its application for a further licence to
operate. This was welcomed by government and employers.
Lord Mandelson said:
“Employers can be confident that Skills for Logistics has come
through a rigorous assessment and will offer employers the highest
quality service in meeting their skills needs.”
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 Skills for Logistics has reached the
required standards is an endorsement of their effectiveness.
“The renewal of this licence also gives confidence to the
government that this SSC 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
Notes to editors:
The relicensing process includes a performance assessment carried
out by the National Audit Office on behalf of the UK Commission
for Employment and Skills which manages the relicensing process.
It focuses on assessing the SSCs against four key themes:
§ how well run the organisation is;
§ its ability to deliver core products and services;
§ its ability to deliver sector specific solutions to employer
demand; and,
§ its ability to progress results and impacts.
The SSC relicensing assessment comprises a detailed review and
report on each SSC by the NAO against a relicensing framework. The
relicensing framework (Empowering SSCs – Employer driven skills
reform across the UK) was launched in July 2008 and is available
on the UK Commission’s website.
Assessments of SSCs against the framework’s requirements are
carried out by the National Audit Office. The NAO collects
evidence on each SSC, including employer testimonies and
stakeholder feedback when producing their assessment report. This
report is then considered by the UK Commission for Employment and
Skills in a process which includes site visits by a designated
Commissioner and a full Relicensing Panel in which both the Chair
and CEO of the SSC meet with Commissioners to make their case.
Each recommendation is ratified by the full Commission.
The UK Commission for Employment and Skills then makes a
recommendation to Ministers in England and the Devolved
Administrations as to whether an individual SSC should receive a
further licence. This recommendation is based upon both the NAO
report and the deliberations of Commissioners. The decision to
award or withhold a licence is made by Ministers in the UK
Government and the Devolved Administrations. Sector Skills
Councils may appeal against the recommendation made by the UK
Commission for Employment, but may not appeal against the
Ministerial decision.
Full copies of the assessment reports and relicensing panel
recommendations are available at www.ukces.org.uk
The remit of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills is to
provide vigorous and independent challenge, advising government at
the highest levels across the UK on employment and skills
strategy, targets, policies and progress towards the challenging
competitiveness goals set by Lord Leitch, including the vision of
an 80% employment rate by 2020. It has been asked by the
government to report on crucial issues, such as the employability
skills employers need for future economic success, how UK
employers can use skills to become more globally competitive, and
whether further institutional change is required to deliver better
integrated employment and skills services.
More information, including a detailed description of the
relicensing process, is available at www.ukces.org.uk – click on
Sector Skills Councils.
Further information from Alex Curling, Head of Press, UKCES,
01709 774890
Alex.curling@ukces.org.uk
and Joanna Fletcher, BIS press Officer, 020 7215 5951.
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is
building a dynamic and competitive UK economy by: creating the
conditions for business success; promoting innovation, enterprise
and science; and giving everyone the skills and opportunities to
succeed. To achieve this it will foster world-class universities
and promote an open global economy. BIS - Investing in our future.
Contacts:
BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Joanna Fletcher
Phone: 020 7215 5951
Joanna.Fletcher@bis.gsi.gov.uk