Press Release

PHIL HOPE ANNOUNCES FURTHER EXPANSION OF NATIONAL SKILLS ACADEMY NETWORK

15 June 2007

Skills Minister Phil Hope today announced the next four sectors that have successfully bid to be part of the expanding NationalSkillsAcademy network, which aims to drive up the standard of industry training, improve productivity and tackle skills shortages across England.

National Skills Academies from the following four sectors:

• sport and active leisure
• retail
• glass manufacture, coatings, print, and building products
• and fashion, textiles, and jewellery

will now go forward into the business planning stage, bringing the total number of sectors involved in this employer-led network to 12. National Skills Academies provide vocational education and training which is tailor made to meet the specific needs of industry sectors and those who work in them.

To date, the Government has approved National Skills Academies for the Construction, Financial Services, Manufacturing, and Food and Drink Manufacturing industries. The second round of National Skills Academies for the Nuclear, Process Industries, Creative and Cultural, and Hospitality sectors are currently at the business planning stage and, if approved, will become operational later this year.

The aim is to have up to 12 academies operational by 2008. The Government is investing £90 million in the programme, which will be delivered through the Learning and Skills Council working with employers and Sector Skills Councils.

Phil Hope, speaking at the launch of the Skills Pledge, said: "National Skills Academies are starting to transform vocational training sector by sector. They are giving employers a unique opportunity to shape curriculum and delivery in return for investing in academies. It is good news that four more organisations are now on their way to joining the growing network of operational National Skills Academies and those heading for completion of their business plans".

Employers are at the heart of the development of the National Skills Academy programme, giving them a real say in how they are run, including:

·influencing the curriculum to ensure it reflects their needs

·setting standards

·determining what network of providers they want to work with

·getting involved in the management of the academies

·shaping their strategic direction.

Employers will also part fund National Skills Academies, providing capital investment as well as equipment know-how and industry insight. Employer sponsorship will fund about 50% of the capital costs of a NationalSkillsAcademy with a further 35% coming from the Government and the remainder from other sources such as European funding. There are many employers from across all the sectors already involved in the initiative, including Airbus, Arcadia, Balfour Beatty, Bovis Lend Lease, Norwich Union, Nationwide, Toyota, Youngs Seafood, and Warburtons.

Currently £33 billion is spent by employers on staff training and development with nearly two in three (65 percent) providing training for their employees. But investment is often unfocussed and, despite this financial outlay, one in five organisations report skills gaps among their workforce.

Chris Banks, Chairman of the Learning and Skills Council, said: “The NationalSkillsAcademy network helps to address the skills gaps England faces today and there has been an encouraging response from business towards the network. This unique collaboration between Government and industry insures skills training is delivered in a way that best benefits businesses and really helps improve UK productivity.”

Each SkillsAcademy develops a bespoke model that reflects the needs of its sector. The varied models will include state of the art centres, linked networks of providers in further and higher education, on-site delivery of training and e-learning materials for flexible learning.

Murray Coleman, Chief Executive of Bovis Lend Lease, stressed the importance of the NationalSkillsAcademy for Construction: “This is about training where it is needed, when it is needed, for the people who need it.”

Sir Alan Jones, Chairman Emeritus of Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd, said: “Employers know what they need and now, through the NationalSkillsAcademy for Manufacturing, for the first time they have the opportunity to work directly with the supply side to influence skills training.”