Skills for Buisiness - What is it?
The Skills for Business network is a key part of the governments Skills Strategy for the next decade and beyond. The White Paper “21st Century Skills” puts employers at the heart of all skills issues – It is important that employers can identify what their employment needs are, both now and in the future; the skills needed by businesses are the ones that the government should be encouraging and supporting.
The 25 employer led Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are at the heart of the strategy. They have a nationwide responsibility for a clearly specified sector, each covering a ‘footprint’ which has been agreed with government. They must also work regionally and in all of the home countries to take account of varying issues throughout the UK. Their responsibilities include research into employment within the sector, identifying skills gaps and developing the necessary qualifications to meet employer needs, identifying and accessing support and funding, and promoting recruitment to their sector through an active careers function.
Because these SSCs each cover a wide sector, CITO will be working with several in order to serve the skills needs of the caravan industry from the government perspective.
CITO is also embarking on the development of national standards and qualifications on behalf of manufacturers and dealers, and is working with SEMTA - the Science, Engineeing and Manufacturing Training Alliance.
The caravan industry is within the ‘footprint’ of SkillsActive, the SSC for sport and active leisure, which holds responsibility for our operational NVQs at staff and supervisory levels, and will be responsible for steering the new safe siting qualification onto the national Framework for Achievement (essential for businesses to access funding through the Learning and Skills Council).
Because holiday and touring parks are part of the tourism industry, many park businesses have a substantial percentage of staff in hospitality functions, and therefore need to access appropriate support and influence qualifications throug People 1st, the SSC for hospitality, leisure and tourism.
29th May 2007
