Views Invited On Priorities For Sector Skills Agreement

The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is urging employers, individuals and stakeholders to grab the chance to get involved in the last stages of consultation to explore if the priorities identified in its Sector Skills Agreement are the right ones.

Following research and consultation into the current and future skills needs of the workforce and training and qualifications, CWDC has identified a number of priorities that the SSA will need to address. Named ‘the big deal’, the SSA will map out what skills employers need their workforce to have and explores how these skills will be developed.

The research has identified a number of issues including the need for increased workforce diversity, a reduction in the number of qualifications, simplified workforce development funding streams and a need for increased flexibility and responsiveness in training provision.

CWDC has taken these issues and created a set of challenges that the SSA will look to address. The consultation asks if these are the right ones and how these challenges can be aligned with regional priorities. In addition, the consultation process will look at potential solutions to priorities based on actions by employers, training providers and funding bodies.

Jane Haywood, Chief Executive of CWDC comments: “Workforce development is key to ensuring that the workforce has the skills that employers need to make sure children and young people receive the best possible service. Sector Skills Agreements put employers, workers, volunteers and service users at the forefront and give them a real chance to influence how the skills of the workforce are developed.

“We want to ensure that the challenges identified in the SSA are the right ones and we would urge the sector to share its feedback either by attending an event or completing our easy online consultation document.”