UKCES

Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are independent, employer-led, UK–wide organisations designed to build a skills system that is driven by employer demand. There are currently 23 SSCs covering over 90% of the economy and they all work towards the following four key goals:

• reduced skills gaps and shortages
• improved productivity, business and public service performance
• increased opportunities to boost the skills and productivity of everyone in the sector's workforce
• improved learning supply through National Occupational Standards, apprenticeships, and further and higher education.

SSCs have been established and developed during the last five years and in that time they have built strong working relationships with the UK Government and the devolved administrations, training providers, bodies which fund training and other important skills stakeholders. They have played a leading role on a range of skills issues, including:

• working with employers to identify future skills needs
• developing skills and training solutions
• setting occupational standards
• influencing and shaping the future development of qualifications
• designing apprenticeship frameworks
• encouraging greater investment in training
• providing labour market information that assists in long-term business planning.

SSCs have done a great deal of work on behalf of employers, but there are many challenges which lie ahead.
We need to be sure that the SSCs are up to that challenge, and that is why the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UK Commission) is assessing the performance of SSCs this year. While there is no intention of embarking on a wholesale re-structuring of the network, the Commission wants to identify any potential for collaboration or consolidation across the network of SSCs, where this would help simplify the skills environment and make it clearer for employers.