2. Welcome Regional Skills Policy and Sector Skills Councils – An LSC Viewpoint 19 October Chris Minett Regional Skills Director

3. Skills Strategy White Paper – March 2005 ‘ Skills are fundamental to achieving our ambitions, as individuals, for our families and for our communities. They help business create wealth and they help people realise their potential.’ ‘Employers will be given a strong voice in the design and content of vocational qualifications through Sector Skills Councils.’ Sector Skills Councils

4. ‘If training supply is to respond to employers’ skills priorities, those priorities must be clearly and consistently expressed. The main mechanism for that is the Sector Skills Council.’

5. Learning and Skills Council Priorities The highest priorities for funding will be the participation and success of young people aged 16 -18, alongside helping adults gain Skills for Life qualifications and their first full Level 2 qualification. We want more adults to gain their first full Level 2 qualification to maximise both their individual potential and their economic contribution. More of the provision we fund must deliver full Level 2 learning, particularly where that responds to sector needs.

6. Learning and Skills Council Priorities Government resources cannot fully meet the increasing demand for learning. Consequently public money must benefit those who need it most. As individuals and employers benefit from skills development it is reasonable they should contribute a greater amount of the cost of learning and, in some circumstances, the full cost.

7. Learning and Skills Council Priorities As employers benefit from skills investment we expect them to contribute more to training costs for workers, especially where the training is highly customised or is required for legislative purposes and is therefore the employers responsibility.

8. We want to continue changing the way learning is delivered to better meet the needs of employers and individuals. For employers, this means increasing their choice of training that suits their business requirements – at the right time and in the right place. In local planning discussions with colleges and providers, we will prioritise our investment in learning and skills development that actively meets the priorities identified in Sector Skills Agreements. LSC – Planning Priorities

9. Business Cycle – Key Processes November Local LSC Identify key areas for dialogue with providers Strategic briefing of providers by ED Annual Planning Review with providers begins October National LSC LSC Annual Statement of Priorities Providers Self Assessment Local LSC Strategic Analysis Self Assessment Ongoing Monitoring of Delivery October / November National LSC/DfES Grant Letter Budgets to Regions Regional LSC Agree priorities with Regional Partners Regional Statement of Priorities Regional consideration of budgets December / January Local LSC Indicative alloca- tions to providers Annual Planning Review in progress April Allocations to providers confirmed Evaluation of the Business Cycle March National LSC Local Annual Plans approved Local Annual Plans published February Local LSC Annual Planning Review completed New provider development plans agreed Local Council signs off Local Annual Plan Local Annual Plan presented to Chief Executive

10. LSC Response to Sector Skills Agreements The LSC will respond to the Sector Skills Agreements tactically through Solutions which will support purchasing via local providers Strategically on broader issues that need resolution before any solution can be effective Not all changes required by the Sector Skills Agreement are needed or are deliverable in the first year.

11. LSC Data 1.Health, Public Services and Care 2.Science and Mathematics 3.Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care 4.Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies 5.Construction, Planning and the Built Environment 6.Information and Communication Technology 7.Retail and Commercial Enterprise 8.Leisure, Travel and Tourism 9.Arts, Media and Publishing

12. Potential Planning Changes Qualifications and provision that does not support SSA priorities may not attract any LSC funding or may attract less funding, and employer fees will need to fill this gap. Stop or reduces provision volumes in qualifications currently being delivered that are no longer identified as fit for purpose or supported by the sector.

13. Potential Planning Changes Expand provision volumes in priority areas to prepare for forecast demand Build capacity over a period of time to prepare for or respond to new or priority qualifications or provision Align other funding to support capacity building or other changes in support of the response to the SSA

14. The regional skills partnership (SWESA) is responsible for developing a partnership approach to the SSAs The National Employer Training Programme (NETP) will be implemented nationally in 2006 and will support employer choices in training with an independent and impartial skills brokerage service Capacity building funds are available to support NETP

15. Challenges How do we ensure employers understand and agree with Sector Skills Agreements? Public funding is limited – how do we encourage employers to invest more in training their employees? 25 Sector Skills Councils with a wide variety of demands – how do we respond adequately to them all? How do we identify where public funding is needed for level 3/4 training? Aligning SSA planning cycles with the LSC business plan.

16. LSC Response to Sector Skills Agreements A stepped plan measurable over the relevant timetable could be agreed and this would be reflected in planning with providers. The LSC cannot respond equally to all Sector Skills Agreements and the response for each agreement may vary, dependant upon local and regional priorities.