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e-skills UK works with industry to meet the government's skills challenge

In a statement today, e-skills UK expressed its support for the government's Skills Strategy White Paper, which it says puts employers centre stage in defining and delivering a skills strategy that meets the real-world needs of business.

e-skills UK represents the IT and Telecoms sectors and was one of the first fully licensed Sector Skills Councils. Its Board members include the CEOs and heads of IT from organisations across the UK, including IBM, Accenture, Oracle, Microsoft, EDS, Dell, Hewlett Packard, BT, BA, Ford, Sainsburys, John Lewis, Morgan Stanley, T-mobile and the Inland Revenue.

Karen Price, CEO, e-skills UK said: "Sector Skills Councils, like e-skills UK, will play a central role in fulfilling the government's skills strategy. At e-skills UK we are working with employers, educators, government agencies and employees to address four key issues; the skills supply to the sectors; workforce development at all levels; the negative stereotyping and gender imbalance within the IT sector and the need for accurate skills information across the UK."

e-skills UK programmes that support the objectives outlined in the Skills Strategy White Paper include:

e-skills Passport

The e-skills Passport is a new web-based service that will enable every individual in the UK to assess, record and improve their current IT skills. It provides a much needed link between the need of individuals and the myriad of courses and qualifications available - all set against a simple, employer-defined framework of IT user skills.

CC4G

Through the Computer Clubs for Girls e-skills UK is working at a grass roots level to address the gender imbalance in the IT sector. The CC4G programme introduces 10-13 year old girls to creative computing applications. CC4G is being piloted by the South East England Development Agency with plans for a national roll-out in the future.

Modern Apprenticeships

Working closely with industry e-skills UK has developed Modern Apprenticeship schemes that marry the need for recognised technical qualifications and business skills. In addition in the Contact Centre sector e-skills UK has worked with the Learning and Skills Council to develop the 25-plus Modern Apprenticeship for employees over the age of 25.

Graduate Professional Development Awards

Developed by e-skills UK in partnership with employers, the GPDA scheme provides a training route for IT graduates to achieve the blend of technical, personal and business skills which employers value.

Standards and Qualifications

e-skills UK is currently leading a major project to radically revise and restructure the e-skills National Occupational Standards (NOS) with extensive input from industry, education and government. This will require both the rationalisation of the existing standards and also crucially the development of standards covering emerging areas of activity structured to meet the needs of industry.

Skills Frameworks

e-skills UK develops and maintains skills frameworks for the IT and Contact Centre sectors that match skills to real world job roles. These frameworks provide a means for employers to plan and deliver the training and development of individuals that meet the skills needs of the business, and the employee's career aspirations.

e-skills into Business

This initiative addresses the needs of smaller companies that lack a dedicated IT professional resource, but would benefit from access to a wide range of IT skills. e-skills into Business provides an online diagnostic tool to identify the skills required to fulfil a business's goals. It goes on to produce a solution linked directly to a library of over 200 accredited e-learning courses and offline mentoring services.

Labour Market Intelligence

e-skills UK undertakes extensive primary research on an annual basis compiling a report called "e-skills Regional Gap - UK". This report provides an in-depth assessment of the country's IT and Telecoms workforce including a skills gap analysis, and outlines a skills action plan for the UK. The national report is supported by a set of 12 regional reports. Other recent publications include the Contact Centres Survey report, which identifies some of the key recruitment and skills issues facing the sector, and Issue 5 of the e-skills Bulletin, a quarterly review of the IT and Telecoms labour market.

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