Training: ownership and partnerships

David Fox's call to arms last month (WM April, p10) included some valid points – but to ensure the success of employer ownership of skills we cannot overlook important factors concerning collective bids and why organisations like Semta are working with employers to shape the training agenda. The new Employer Ownership Pilot offers business a unique opportunity to design and develop training solutions. Employers bid alone or in groups into the UK Commission for Employment and Skills' £250 million fund. As very little non-apprentice vocational training is now funded by government this is good news, particularly as UK recession looms again. With manufacturing output rising by 5% in the last quarter alone, there's all to play for. The UKCES is right to put employers in the driving seat, inviting them to propose pilots which support work readiness, workforce development, apprenticeships and the development of higher skills. Who better to influence the quality and content of training provision than employers? The reality, however, is that most advanced manufacturing and engineering employers are SMEs who are too busy getting product out the door to collaborate, agree priorities and deliver solutions. So have employers been abandoned to tackle the complex skills landscape for themselves, or is this change in ownership a signal that skills partners have failed? Certainly not. The risk of SMEs not participating is well recognised. Employers who put their names to proposals and ensure the correct measures of return on investment are in place, are not expected to work alone. Organisations like Semta can offer valuable support by articulating skills priorities, identifying collective solutions, supporting delivery and generating co-investment. Employer ownership is a radical opportunity to develop more innovative, effective and sustainable improvement to workforce skills. Partnership will be key to its success. If you are interested in the Employer Ownership Pilot, then please get in touch with a member of the Semta team.