Semta responds to UKCES announcement on Simplifying the Skills
Landscape
The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has
today announced its recommendations to government on how to
simplify the skills landscape.
Semta has spent considerable time lobbying
with government and voicing employers concerns about complexity and
red tape in the system, which leads to difficulty when trying to
access skills funding and provision.
The UKCES has recommended a two stage
approach:
The first stage is "to hide the wiring". The
key proposals here are:
- A Talent Map (web portal) offering employers a single
entry point to the many skills websites.
- An improved brokerage service (probably under the Business Link
brand)
- The grouping of all government skills programmes, initiatives
and funding under Train to Gain.
Semta will support these proposals through its
normal activity of identifying sectoral priorities, qualifications
simplification, and Compact implementation to meet identified
strategic needs of businesses. Semta will also continue to
work closely with Higher Education organisations, ensuring the
needs for higher level skills can be met through training.
Plans for the second stage are still under
discussions.
Semta’s response to the announcement
As the voice of employers in science,
engineering and manufacturing technology, Semta is delighted that
the government has taken our sector’s views into consideration. We
have for a long time promoted the need to simplify the skills
landscape and reduce red tape.
We are conscious of the strategic importance
of our sector and our employers clearly defined priorities. To that
end we are keen to understand the detail within the proposals. For
example: how specialised brokers will be developed within Train to
Gain who understand the skills requirements of our employers.
The Compact Semta has agreed with DIUS and the
LSC is specifically designed to simplify the customer journey for
our employers and is proving very successful. Semta have already
engaged with 200 companies to support them to access Train to Gain
linked to a plan to improve company performance.
So we will study the announcement and continue
to work with the UKCES and other sector skills councils to ensure
that our sector’s needs are recognised and that practical help is
made available to enable our 76,000 employers compete more
effectively.
Semta will continue to keep you informed of
further developments and our views on suggested changes will be
made clear to all key decision makers in government.
For more information go to:
DIUS Press Release
UKCES
Website