Proskills welcomes new skills challenge

"PROSKILLS, the Sector Skills Council (SSC) currently in development for the UK’s processing and manufacturing sector, which includes the quarrying and building products industries, has welcomed the Government’s Skills Strategy White Paper, which places employers, through their SSCs, at the forefront of workforce skills development."

"By employing a sector-based approach, the strategy aims to ensure that different types of employers with different skills needs will be tackled in a variety of ways and on a variety of levels, rather than adopting a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. This will help match employer needs with supply more closely, thereby helping to fix the current skills gaps and shortages."

"The White Paper highlights a number of actions which are to be addressed by Proskills, including: implementing an employer-led strategy that contributes to raising productivity and competitiveness in the sector; reducing barriers to learning for employers and employees; ensuring current (and future) qualifications on offer to potential workers match more closely with employer needs; and generating meaningful information on current and future skills requirements."

"Welcoming the increased role the Skills Strategy is giving to Proskills and the whole Skills for Business Network, Alan Hearsum, chief executive (designate) of Proskills, said: ‘The proposals put forward in the White Paper will help us to meet our key objectives to improve the productivity and profitability of our sector by improving the skills of the workforce, and we are working hard to achieve this.’"

"Licensed by the Government, SSCs replace the previous network of National Training Organizations (NTOs) which had their recognition withdrawn in March 2002. At this time EPIC NTO, the training organization for the quarry products industries, changed its name to EPC Training Ltd to reflect the new structure. It is envisaged that Proskills will eventually be one of a network of around 25 SSCs covering some 95% of the entire UK workforce."