SummitSkills moves on to assessing training provision
Horizon, the SummitSkills project to develop a Sector Skills Agreement for building-services engineering, has reached the second stage of its development — the assessment of current provision (ACP). This stage will help the sector to directly influence training provision to ensure it is fit for purpose. To compile the ACP, SummitSkills is studying what training is offered and, from an employer’s perspective, assessing whether it meets the current and future needs of the sector Keith Marshall, chief executive at SummitSkills, says, ‘Ensuring we have appropriate training for the sector is vital. At this stage, our aim is to get funding channelled in the right places to meet employers’ requirements. The first stage of Horizon involved assessing the sector’s current and future skills needs. The results were presented to a conference at the end of March. One of the key issues raised was the impending surge in the specification of environmental technologies and the UK’s lack of skills to install and maintain this equipment. A Sector Skills Agreement is a deal between employers, training providers and the Government. Employers lay out what their workforce and skills requirements are — now and in the future. In return, the Government and providers agree to fund and deliver training tailored to meet this need, within Government policy, providing employers are also willing to make a commitment.
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