The Sector Skills Agenda

There is increasing emphasis on making the skills system more demand-led, building on the progress that the Sector Skills Councils have achieved in engaging with employers in the sectors they work in.

We have built a strong track record in the sector skills arena. This includes our work with the Sector Skills Development Agency and all of the Sector Skills Councils. Working for the SSDA, we reviewed the way in which sector skills priorities and needs have been incorporated in the latest Regional Economic Strategies in England. 

We have considerable expertise in the audio visual, digital and creative industries. We are currently working with Yorkshire Forward to evaluate Digital 2010, the region’s Digital and ICT Skills Action Plan. Previously, we carried out research into the skills needs of the audio visual industries in Wales, on behalf of ELWa, and supported the development of audio visual skills strategies for the English regions, in support of Skillset’s Sector Skills Agreement.

One of the key recommendations from the Leitch Review of Skills was that qualifications should reflect the skills that employers value. We are currently working on behalf of the Sector Skills Development Agency to evaluate the Sector Qualifications Reform Programme, which aims to ensure that the vocational qualifications system meets the current and future needs of employers. We have also recently been working with Lifelong Learning UK to evaluate the tests and trials of the new initial teacher qualifications  for the lifelong learning sector.