SummitSkills is ready to roll out its Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) to tackle the skills shortage in the building services engineering sector.
SummitSkills announced on April 18 that it had come up with a deal to give employers the skilled workforce they want

The SSA highlights five priorities to be tackled by the agreement in the next three years.

These are

· promoting a positive image of the sector
· creating a knowledge centre for skills development
· providing relevant training provision
· flexibile funding to meet changing needs
· management and leadership -sector support to develop competitive business

SSA implementation groups across the country will be accountable and responsible for delivering the agreement. These groups, led by employers, will meet on a quarterly basis to review SSA delivery progress in their region.

Activity for year one will include:

· improving careers guidance and active marketing to make
working in the industry attractive to high achievers
· promoting benefits of training
· developing national occupational standards for technologies, and
integrating these apprenticeship training frameworks
· examining provision that is not fit-for-purpose and seeking a more effective use of public funding
· working with partners to develop entry and progression routes for a specific number of people linked to the sector's skills requirements.

Keith Marshall, chief executive of SummitSkills said “The proposed solutions are of real value to employers, and are set to make significant difference that will help safeguard a prosperous sector for many years to come.”