Proskills aligns to new business model

Leaner organization giving up Sector Skills Council status and focusing on narrower remit going forward

PROSKILLS has just completed a restructure of the organization following a board meeting on 21 March 2012. A leaner Proskills will have a new business plan and has chosen to cease to be a Sector Skills Council (SSC) by 30 June 2012, but will continue as the standards-setting organization and National Skills Academy for eight industries in the process and manufacturing sector.

Tom Bowtell (pictured), interim chief executive officer at Proskills, said: ‘Proskills going forward will focus on a narrower remit to develop and uphold standards, qualifications and apprenticeships; drive demand for training and qualifications via the National Skills Academy provider network; help employers access funding; and promote the industries to young people across the UK.

‘The board felt that there were still significant synergies realized through working together through their own skills body, rather than joining forces with another sector where their voices would be diluted or unheard.’

Although Proskills will no longer carry the responsibility of being a Sector Skills Council, the new structure and plan, as approved by the board, will place the organization in a strong position to continue to support the needs of the sector, led by a knowledgeable and motivated team.

The investment environment created by government, especially through the Employer Investment Fund, Growth and Innovation Fund and now through the Employer Ownership Pilots, will present greater opportunities for Proskills to work collaboratively to ensure more support to the manufacturing sector.

Proskills will continue to bid for funding for development of standards and framework-related products through a collaborative approach with SSC-led clusters.

Terry Watts left Proskills at the end of March and Ian Aspley, chair of Proskills Building Products Industry Board and former operations director at Marley Eternit, has been appointed as interim general manager to take over from Tom Bowtell during May.

Mr Aspley said: ‘Our companies need skilled people and it is clear that the Government’s strategy is that employers must take more ownership of the skills agenda. Now more than ever it is up to us to support our standards-setting body and National Skills Academy, to ensure that we have the necessary skills to move our sector forward. I ask all those who believe in a profitable and successful future to join us to make it a reality.’

Proskills will be working very closely with the key trade associations to ensure the needs of the industry are met, and Helen Hewitt has been appointed as the industry lead for the extractive and mineral processing industries.