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ConstructionSkills – Skills Council Licence Renewed

Posted: 19th November 2009

Following a stringent government process to determine the value of Sector Skills Councils, ConstructionSkills has been awarded a new five year licence to operate. The relicensing panel considered the SSC to be performing at the upper end of the good standard in many areas of work and recommended an overall assessment of “good” which has been accepted by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, Lord Mandelson.

The news comes after the ConstructionSkills body participated in a relicensing process of all 25 Sector Skills Councils across the UK. The process, which took 10 months to complete, included extensive consultation with employers and an internal audit, which was completed by the National Audit Office.

ConstructionSkills is a unique partnership between the Construction Industry Council (CIC), CITB-ConstructionSkills and CITB Northern Ireland. The organisation represents the entire construction footprint from trades such as roofing, carpentry and plastering, through to professions, such as architecture and engineering. Working with employers, the Sector Skills Council is responsible for labour market intelligence, identifying qualifications and training needs, developing relevant training programmes and maximising investment in skills and training in the sector.
Speaking about the renewal of the Sector Skills licence and the overall good grading, Sir Michael Latham, Chairman of ConstructionSkills said, “The renewal of our Sector Skills Council licence is not just excellent news for ConstructionSkills, but also for our industry. It comes at a time when employers are facing considerable difficulties as a result of the recession, and it gives us the opportunity to continue to work with them to ensure they have the skills they need now and in the future when the upturn comes.”
He added: “the renewal of our licence is a true testament to the partnership that we have established with all sectors of the industry, to ensure that we have the right skills in the right place at the right time. I am delighted that we are considered to be a high performing Sector Skills Council. Whilst the renewal of our license is recognition of our hard work, we must not rest on our laurels. There is still much to achieve. UKCES have outlined some areas for development and has encouraged us to continue our collaborative working with professional services employers and higher education.”
Graham Watts, CEO of the Construction Industry Council said, “Naturally, CIC is delighted that ConstructionSkills has received this positive assessment of its work to date in Lord Mandelson’s decision to award it a new 5-year Licence. We are very strongly committed to working within ConstructionSkills, and with the professional bodies and higher education, to ensure that future skills needs – especially in relation to delivering a low carbon economy are achieved. There is much to do, especially in terms of creating a better understanding for the potential of ConstructionSkills amongst the professions and professional services providers.”