1

SECTORS - RATIONALE FOR INVOLVING SSCS WITHIN TRAIN TO GAIN

• SSCs represent industry and regularly engage with employers

• SSCs understand:

– Sectors’ skills needs– The positive impact skills have on business performance

• All of this is augmented in the Sector Skills Agreement process

2

SKILLS FOR BUSINESS NETWORK

• Skills for Business Network (SfBN) is the name given to all 25 SSCs operating together with the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA)

• SfBN aims to boost productivity and profitability of the UK

• Done through identifying and tackling skills gaps and shortages in each sector.

3

KEY GOALS

SSCs have 4 key goals:

• Reduce skills gaps and shortages

• Improve productivity, business and public service performance

• Increase opportunities to boost the skills and productivity of everyone in the sector’s workforce

• Improve learning supply including apprenticeships, higher education and National Occupational Standards

4

WORKING WITH BROKERS

• SSCs will be able to provide leads to brokers

• Knowledge of how to access employers in sector

• SSC may be able to offer additional support to broker beyond the brokerage experience

• LSC currently working on a referral protocol for SSCs and brokers

5

SSC SUPPORT

Three Tier Offer of support for employers and brokers:

• Tier 1 support will be available from all SSCs and will include information relating to labour market intelligence

• Tier 2 support will be available free of charge as it will already have been funded from the public purse (these services may not be offered by all SSCs)

• Tier 3 support will be offered at a cost but may be beneficial to brokers and will vary from SSC to SSC. May include improvement tools and support, training, bespoke helplines

6

SECTOR SKILLS AGREEMENT (SSA)

• Sector Skills Agreements essentially map out what skills employers need their workforce to have

• Also establish the process by which these skills can be supplied by key partners

• Facilitated by SSCs but signed up to by everyone who supplies, funds and plans education and training