Skills for Business network: phase 2 evaluation main report

The Skills for Business network aims to enhance productivity and profitability in the UK. It was established in 2002 by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), the Department of Trade and Industry and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with a remit to ‘replace the relative weakness of the UK’s sectoral arrangements with strong employer leadership capable of delivering sustained improvements in public and private sector productivity and competitiveness through the better use and development of people’s skills’. It identifies and addresses skills gaps and shortages on a sector by sector basis. The network comprises 25 Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and is underpinned by the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), which is responsible for funding, supporting and monitoring the SSCs. This report presents an overview of the results from the phase 2 evaluation of the network, based on early analysis of the extensive data sets that have been assembled and evidence from a series of case studies. It summarises how the network has progressed against a range of strategic and operational objectives contained in the ‘performance scorecard’, which contains indicators designed to reflect: the strategic objectives of the network in relation to improved productivity and economic performance and key factors influencing this; the operational objectives of the network, which feed into the achievement of the strategic objectives; objectives relating to the supportive leadership role of the SSDA; the overall strength of the network as reflected in its financial viability, governance structures, capacity and capability; and sector specific objectives as agreed between SSDA and individual SSCs. The overall assessment is that considerable progress has been made, particularly in terms of institution building and employer awareness. Progress has been uneven, though, both across the different measures in the scorecard and between the component parts of the network.

Related reports are indexed at TD/TNC 83.278 and TD/TNC 83.279.

The Skills for Business network aims to enhance productivity and profitability in the UK. It was established in 2002 by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), the Department of Trade and Industry and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with a remit to ‘replace the relative weakness of the UK’s sectoral arrangements with strong employer leadership capable of delivering sustained improvements in public and private sector productivity and competitiveness through the better use and development of people’s skills’. It identifies and addresses skills ...  [+] Show more