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In the UK, employers are involved in the vocational education training system through their participation in Sector Skills Councils. The Sector Skills Councils (SSC) develop and own National Occupational Skills Standards.
The Sector Skills Councils are owned and run by employers, and draw on the expertise and active involvement of trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the sector.
Their goals are to:
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reduce skills gaps and shortages and anticipate future needs |
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help employers and individuals to make informed choices |
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improve productivity, business and public services performance |
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increase opportunities to develop and improve individual productivity so that everyone can benefit |
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improve the learning supply, including the development of apprenticeships, higher education and national occupational standards. |
To achieve these goals, the tasks of the SSCs include:
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planning for skills development in their sector, based on skills analyses which include information about destinations and earnings for different career and occupational pathways |
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promoting employer skills investment and innovation - and ensuring that the needs of small and micro businesses are fully met |
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building an effective employer network - including developing employer learning networks and group training arrangements |
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defining key sector occupational skills and promoting career opportunities - ensuring the development of comprehensive national occupational standards |
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promoting learning and qualifications - including specific initiatives such as Investors in People and Modern Apprenticeships. |
The Sector Skills Councils are supported by the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils, which comprises all 25 Sector Skills Councils. It promotes understanding of the role of Sector Skills Councils within the skills system, co-ordinates policy positions and strategic work on skills, and ensures the Sector Skills Councils continue to work effectively on the employer-driven skills agenda.
An example of a SSC:
One example of a SSC is Semta, the newly established Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Alliance. Semta covers over 100,000 firms and two million employees across the science, engineering and technology sectors. This includes the main engineering manufacturing groups of basic metal products, mechanical equipment, electronics, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, aerospace and other transport as well as pharmacy, forensic science, meteorology, biotechnology and nanotechnology.
Among Semta's targets are commitments to double the number of young people taking GCSEs and graduate apprenticeships over the next three years and to boost the number of modern apprenticeships by one third. It also aims to improve productivity across the sector, represent the sector to government, ascertain employers' skill needs and address the problems of small and medium sized firms.
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