Employer Engagement
Increasing employer ambition, engagement and investment in skills
The Employer Engagement Directorate is responsible for improving the effectiveness of employer involvement in the skills system. As part of the executive arm of the UK Commission, our job is to lead and drive the changes necessary to improve employer ambition, engagement and investment in skills. Our first priority has been to work with relicensed SSCs to build an agile and collaborative Sector Skills Council (SSC) network focused on tackling strategic skills priorities. A second priority is to work to strengthen management and leadership skills, high performance working and skills utilisation by employers. The main initial focus of this work will be for the UK Commission to take ownership of the Investors in People (IiP) Standard from April 2010. In doing this, we will continue to develop Investors in People's reach and impact amongst employers of all types and sizes, and strengthen Investors in People's position at the heart of the UK's business and skills agenda.
Our current projects
Sectoral leadership by employers
We will assess the extent to which the skills system makes best use of employer advice and contributions including through SSCs and other bodies at the national and regional level, and the extent to which the current system encourages employer investment or improved skills utilisation in the workplace. A new OECD report on the skills system in England and Wales, provides an important perspective on this issue. The report will be available to download from the OECD website shortly.
We are already working with employers to shape the future direction of the SSCs and will support them in building a more agile and collaborative network to quickly tackle strategic skills issues as they arise. We will also be helping the SSCs to develop the role of the Alliance so that SSCs are able to act together to build their capacity and capability to support employer skills needs, including unblocking barriers to the delivery of employer-led skills solutions.
To learn more about SSCs click here
SSC Relicensing
The UK Commission has been responsible for the relicensing process for the 23 SSCs. Each SSC is an employer-led, independent organisation that covers a specific sector across the UK. The process of relicensing has recommended whether their licence from the UK government and the devolved administrations should be renewed. This is important because the UK government and the devolved administrations are giving SSCs increasing levels of influence over skills policy, qualification reform and the way in which learning provision is delivered.
The recommendation that SSCs be relicensed came from Leitch's 2006 report 'Prosperity for all in the Global Economy - World Class Skills'
The UK Commission has now made recommendations to the UK governments on all 23 SSCs. A number have been asked to come back to the relicensing panel following additional work. These further discussions are planned for November 2009 and January 2010 and will lead to further advice to government.
To read more about the SSC relicensing process click here
SSC relicensing decisions can be viewed here
SSC funding and performance management
We are implementing a transparent, risk-based performance management system to drive the continuous improvement of the SSCs following the rigorous relicensing process. This will include the publication of an annual report on the performance of the SSC network. We will continue to support employers in all sectors to make constructive arrangements to improve their engagement in the skills system, including where Sector Skills Council arrangements are no longer in place.
To read more about SSC funding and performance click here
Investors in People
In 2010, responsibility for the Investors in People standard will be passed from government to the UK Commission placing it at the heart of our agenda to strengthen management, leadership and skills utilisation across the UK. These new arrangements will mean that the Commission will take over guardianship of the IiP standard and framework, including responsibility for ensuring continued high quality through the licensing of regional and national delivery centres across the UK.
To read more about IiP click here
UK IIP Licence Documents
UK Delivery Centre Licensees are required as part of their Licence to operate in accordance with four key documents:
UKCES Standard Terms and Conditions for IIP
UK Investors in People Centre Network Agreement
UK Statement of Quality Requirements for IIP
UK Investors in People Customer Charter
International IIP Licence Documents
International Standard Terms and Conditions for IIP
International Investors in People Centre Network Agreement
Related Document:
