All sights on the Horizon

Those employers looking to have a greater say in training for the next generation of employees and their existing workforce will find there is some good news on the Horizon. Horizon is the name that SummitSkills has given to its development of a Sector Skills Agreement for building services engineering that aims to fundamentally alter the way skills are developed and delivered.

Keith Marshall, chief executive of SummitSkills, explained: “The Sector Skills Agreement is a deal between employers, training providers and the government that we are facilitating. Employers lay out what their workforce and skills requirements are now and in the future and, in return, the government and training providers agree to fund and deliver training tailored to this need, within government policy, providing employers are also willing to make a commitment.”

So far, SummitSkills has researched the skills required for the future and the quality of training provision currently available. Between now and the end of the year, employers, industry partners and stakeholders will be brought together at consultation workshops to address the issues that have been uncovered through the research.

The aim of the workshops will be to develop solutions to the needs raised, and agree how each party in the sector can work together to implement those solutions. Outcomes from the workshops will help formulate a final agreement for each region within England, nine in all, as well as two for Scotland and one each for Wales and Northern Ireland. The final agreements are due for launch in spring 2007.

Dr Mike Hammond, research manager, detailed the project so far: “SummitSkills has carried out face-to-face interviews with over 400 businesses across Britain. The information collected is being mapped against quantitative data on workforce requirements, as well as government literature and strategy documents, giving an overall picture of the core issues for the sector. This will provide a solid evidence base to influence change.”

The Sector Skills Agreement is a deal between employers, training providers and the government

Keith Marshall

SummitSkills will be publishing all findings and key issues for employers as the results are finalised throughout autumn. Early findings indicate that all is not well with current training provision. “There has been a degree of concern over the basic skills of new entrants to the profession, although this is alleviated to some extent by the initial assessment testing by JTL and BEST,” said Hammond. “Many employers would rather take on older workers, but funding militates against this.” The agreement will highlight the lack of funding for adult trainees as a clear issue.

Also the fast development of mobile communication equipment, such as PDAs, means that staff, particularly less IT-literate employees, may need training for this new technology if productivity gains are to come through.

With local government implementing plans to reduce carbon emissions, there will soon be increased opportunities for companies to install and maintain combined heat and power, solar panels and photovoltaic cells. At present, the majority of firms are reactive rather than proactive with regards to the development of skills in renewable technologies. Businesses risk being left behind if they do not prepare for future demand, so adequate training provision must be provided to meet these skill requirements.

With future workload projections highlighting a shortfall in the number of operatives needed to deliver schemes such as the 2012 Olympics, let’s hope that Horizon promises a clear road ahead.