Industry feedback is being sought on proposed recommendations for the new Construction Skills Strategy which is currently being developed by Sector Skills Council CITB-ConstructionSkills and the Industry Training Board, with the consultaton closing on 6th February 2012.
The Strategy, which will replace the Construction Qualification Strategy, aims to identify industry-wide education and training needs for 2012 – 2017. It has been focusing on 6 main areas to include: Apprenticeships, Competence, Card Schemes, Management & Supervision, Low Carbon and Careers Development.
CITB-ConstructionSkills is keen to hear from representatives from all areas of industry for final thoughts on the draft recommendations which are drawn from desk research and industry consultation; which will shape the strategy.
The review of the Strategy, which was first developed by CITB-ConstructionSkills in 2005, aims to identify whether the current education and training structure will equip learners with the skills needed by employers or whether change is needed.
It follows major changes to the education and training landscape since the strategy was officially adopted in 2007, including the rollout of the Vocational Qualifications Reform Programme and widespread reform of 14 -19 learning and Higher Education Funding. The recent HSE/Pye Tait report into competence has also identified the need to confirm the industry’s definition of competence.
Nick Gooderson, Head of Education and Research at CITB-ConstructionSkills, said: ‘This consultation has thrown up some really interesting observations and recommendations from stakeholders around qualification, skills and competencies. We’ve had a lot of valuable input from industry experts on the quality and practicability of construction qualifications and how they can best serve industry needs.
‘We are working hard to ensure that we deliver the right skills for economic growth locally and nationally and a huge part of that challenge is ensuring that we have fit for purpose qualifications and pathways that meet both sector and learner needs.
‘We’re keen to hear from all interested parties during the final phase of this review and welcome their response to the recommendations. It’s vital that these proposals accurately reflect industry demand and arm learners with the skills that make them both employable and confident of their capabilities and competence. This will form the bedrock of our skills strategy for the next five years so it’s imperative that we get it right.’
The online consultation is now live and will stay open for a three week period until 6th February 2012. In addition, we will be seeking confirmation through a range of industry wide workshops. To access the consultation document please visit: http://www.pyetait.com/construction/
Download the report on a phase 2 seminar hosted by BEFS in December 2011 see: LINK
See the briefing on the first phase of the consultation at: LINK
CSkills News: LINK
