Employer Group Launched to Boost Professional Sector in Wales
Posted: 19th March 2011
The Welsh professional sector has been given a boost thanks to the launch of a new employer group, which has been designed to help identify the issues facing Wales’ professional sector and to raise awareness of the advice and support available to them.
The Professional Services Sector Employer Group was established following research commissioned by ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council and Industry Training Board for the construction industry, in partnership with the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and Asset Skills.
Chair Ann-Marie Smale of Powell Dobson Architects, said: “Vitally the group will recreate the CIC Wales region through a joint group of employer representatives and professional institutions, with support from ConstructionSkills. In addition to adding value to the industry and helping the sector to succeed and grow, the group will provide a single voice for the industry in discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government. Many of these discussions will be carried out by myself as the Chair when feeding back on behalf of the group to the Welsh Assembly Government Cross-Party Group for the Welsh built environment.”
The group currently consists of 27 employer representatives with members including Directors, Partners, HR Managers and others with specific responsibility for training and staff development. It also includes representation from key professional institutions in Wales including the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA).
The current focus of the group is planning legislation, the low carbon agenda, recruitment and retention of talent, the qualifications cross over to the All Wales Qualification Group, and institutions involvement.
Its key objectives include developing a ConstructionSkills strategy for addressing the needs of the professional services sector in Wales, agreeing a rolling five year action plan to address these needs, informing the future work of ConstructionSkills within the professional services sector and acting as advisers to ConstructionSkills to ensure services and support meet the needs of the sector. The group will also aim to liaise and co-ordinate with the Professional Body Forum and other ConstructionSkills groups with representation on other groups as necessary and seek funding for project based initiatives which arise from the action plan.
For more information o njoining the group, please contact either Wyn Prichard (0300 456 5717 / wyn.prichard@cskills.org) or Debra Jenkins (0300 456 5718 / debra.jenkins@cskills.org).