In for the skill

Further progress, indeed the second major step towards the creation of a Sector Skills Council to replace NET, has been taken; namely the submission of a "formal expression of interest" to the Government.

What, I hear you ask, was the first step, what is this "formal expression of interest" and why is it important? Well, the first step was the agreement between the heating and ventilating, electrical and plumbing industries to come together with m&e union Amicus in order to ask government to let them create a single Sector Skills Council when their respective National Training Organisations (NET, ESTTL and BPEC) cease to exist later this year.

The "formal expression of interest", sent to government in the middle of February, is the second step – there will be four steps in all. Government, through the Department for Education and Skills and the Sector Skills Development Agency, has requested all bodies that wish to become Sector Skills Councils to submit a request, in the manner of a "formal expression of interest (in becoming an SSC)", to them for consideration and acceptance.

Acceptance does not guarantee the formation of a SSC, merely it is notice that the application process can go the next step, step three, the preparation of a proposal – to all intents a business and management plan.

Back to step two, the "formal expression of interest". This is important because it sets out for government the intention of the various industries making up the building/construction services sector to come together to provide a single point of reference for training standards.

If we can not demonstrate that we can work as one sector then it is likely that the Government will dictate with whom to amalgamate

This is critical since the Government will not let the electrotechnical industry, or the heating and ventilating or plumbing industries, stay independent National Training Organisations. If these three industries can not demonstrate that they can work effectively as one sector then it is likely that the Government will dictate with whom to amalgamate. While government haven't said who that might be, the CITB would seem to be the obvious candidate. (The same CITB that all three industries fought so hard to get out of in the mid-1980s!)

So what has been said in this important document? Well the Government has laid down pretty tight guidelines on what it wants to know. These include:

• a definition of the sector and convincing evidence of why it has an employment base of economic or strategic significance;
  
• how the new SSC intends to work throughout the whole UK;
  
• what Foundation and Advanced Modern Apprenticeships, together with other learning and national occupational standards the SSC will cover;
  
• who are the individuals making the request and what experience do they have of NTOs, skills or sectoral issues;
  
• who will be the chair and who will be on the board;
  
• what organisations in the proposed new sector, as well as those associated with it, back the setting up of this SSC;
  
• how much and how long will it cost and take to develop a proposal (the third stage);
  
• is there any competition for the areas that the new SSC is proposing to work in, either from other SSCs wanting some of the proposed sector or if the new SSC wants some of the areas of interest currently covered by other NTOs?

The "formal expression of interest" gives full explanations and answers to all these questions, together with comprehensive and copious supporting documentation.

In addressing the first three points, the document has pulled together evidence gathered by ESTTL, BPEC and NET over the last four years as to the demand for skills in each of the industries that they cover. This creates a picture of a sector crying out for skilled labour and industries that make up the backbone of the UK construction and engineering industries.

This is particularly important since government has to be convinced (I'm assuming that we all are) of the importance of the sector in order for it to be allowed to proceed.

The last bullet point is also important. While the Implementation Task Group (ITG) that prepared the "formal expression of interest" knows of no-one trying to "muscle in" on the areas covered by the existing NTOs, it has indicated to government that it wants the sector to take back those areas that lie in the mainstream of the work carried out by electricians in electrical and building services contracts. Such areas include, for example, data and communications and security.