Home > News > January 2004 > 21-Jan-2004

SummitSkills granted licence by Secretary of State

SummitSkills has been granted a five-year licence to operate as the Sector Skills Council for the building services engineering sector.

The licence will take effect from December 2003.

The building services engineering sector covers the electrotechnical, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration and plumbing industries.

SummitSkills, which has been in operation throughout its development period, will continue to work with employers to address the skills and training issues affecting the sector in both the short and long-term future.

At today's official presentation of the licence, Education and Skills Secretary, Charles Clarke, said: "I am delighted to award this licence to SummitSkills. We will look to SummitSkills to rise to the challenge and help this sector develop the skills needed to progress the country's building services.

"To satisfy the level of comfort we demand in our homes, offices and, indeed, all public buildings, the building services engineering sector desperately needs a world-class qualified work force. SummitSkills is now well positioned to achieve this."

SummitSkills chairman, Simon Bartley, said: "The granting of this five-year licence again demonstrates the desire for all the employers in the industries making up the sector to work together to ensure the employees and clients get the skilled labour force they need to profitably produce top quality work for the 21st Century."

Keith Marshall, chief executive, said: "This outcome is a successful culmination of a years' hard work from the whole team. We can now start work in earnest to enhance projects already underway. Our licence brings more than just direct funding, it provides access to far greater leverage issues and the ability to exert real influence on national skills policy."

Over the last 12 months, SummitSkills has undergone a rigorous development process, involving internal and external assessment by the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), devolved administrations, relevant government departments, independent consultants and a Licence Assessment Panel. Following a recommendation from the SSDA Board in November, a five-year licence has been granted by Charles Clarke, Secretary of State for Education and Skills.

Training and development books

Discover books on a variety of training and development topics at the Training Reference Bookshop

Source suppliers

Visit the Training Reference Directory to view supplier details for a wide range of courses, products and services.

Sponsored links

Back to top