Four of the 25 bodies responsible for developing sector skills in the UK have been relicensed by the government, but the body that covers social care, children, early years and young people is still being assessed.
Four of the sector skills councils, covering the development of skills in health, justice, leisure and food and drink manufacturing, have been relicensed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
There are 25 sector skills councils in the UK. They are state-funded, but employer-led, and were set up to boost the skills of specific sector workforces.
Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, who chairs the panel overseeing the relicensing process, said the councils are the "principal mechanism" through which employers can exert influence over the UK's education, skills and training systems. The renewal of the four licences was an endorsement of these bodies' effectiveness, he said.
The position of Skills for Care and Development, which was not relicensed, was "no reflection" on its performance, according to the department for business, innovation and skills, which said the government is carrying out "further work" in this area, because of the "complex policy context" in each country.
Alan Woods, chief executive of Skills for Justice, one of the four bodies that has been relicensed, said the work of his organisation, which employs 80 people in the UK, had to reflect the differences across the UK's justice system.
Skills for Justice works with employers in both the private and the public sectors, to set national standards for skills in areas such as policing, prisons, and forensic science, and he said this was particularly important as the public sector heads into uncertain economic times.
"We will try to ensure that we have the staff able to respond to all the challenges of 21st-century Britain," he commented.
A white paper on skills is due out shortly from the business department and the sector skills councils are lobbying hard to preserve a sector-based approach to skills, while acknowledging that the area needs simplifying.
"It can be complex for both employers and individuals to understand," said Woods. "But it is the sectors that drive the UK economy. They are how employers think of their world. It is important that sectoral approach is carried through and things are not just put into a big melting pot."
From Whitehall Watch
From Bubb's Blog
From Flip Chart Fairy Tales
