This Expression of Interest to Government will build on a North West study completed by consultants INSTEP last year. This looked at the feasibility, vision and driving forces for an Academy to boost skills development and sustainability of the chemicals sector in the North West of England.

The INSTEP study found that an Academy could significantly expand, enhance and streamline the delivery of training and skills development for the industry.  

This feasibility exercise is now being conducted with employers in other regions across the UK, as the proposed Academy will have a national scope. Employers around the UK are being consulted on their views and ideas for a proposed Academy.

The previous study overlapped with the launch of the Government’s Skills Academy initiative. Four national skills academies (Food & Drink, Manufacturing, Finance and Construction) were successfully launched by Secretary of State for Education, Ruth Kelly (pictured) as pilots in the autumn 2005 and the prospectus for the next round of eight academies was announced end March 2006.

In order to realise the vision of a Skills Academy chemical and polymer employer support and commitment is key.  Companies can demonstrate this in a number of ways:

• a letter of support indicating how an Academy would address training needs is most welcome
• a commitment to use an Academy that meets employer needs would provide excellent validation
• employers who can make a quantified commitment (providing approximate trainee numbers or financial support) would give the Expression of Interest even greater strength

Companies who would like to play an active part in helping Cogent achieve a successful bid for an Academy can contact Cogent Strategy Director John Holton.  

He said:” Industry champions will ensure the Academy becomes a reality. I will circulate the Expression of Interest before it is submitted to companies, but in the meantime if employers would like to understand more about PINSA and how it can help them to develop and upskill their workforce then please give me a call or email me.”

[email protected].

01925 515 208

Announcing Dr Beacham’s appointment, Cogent CEO Joanna Woolf said: “I am delighted that John has agreed to be our Chairman. He has deep and wide experience of the skills issues our employers face and will bring a unique perspective on growth and innovation, which we have identified as a top priority for our industries. His knowledge and experience will be invaluable to us.”  Responding John said: “I am delighted to be joining Cogent, it has a very challenging task and I am looking forward to contributing and steering it through the next few years”.

Dr Beacham is an Industrialist/Advisor to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). He is Chairman of University of Liverpool Enterprises Ltd (ULivE) and a Director of the newly formed Bioscience for Business Knowledge Transfer Network.  He is also a director of “TrusTech”, an NHS North West exploitation company and CLIK, the CCLRC Exploitation Company, and Worldwide President elect of the SCI (The Society of the Chemical Industry). 

He has strong links to the Academic Sector where he is an Honorary Professor at both Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores Universities and was awarded a DSc in 2004 by the University of Manchester.

Dr Beacham has also served as Chairman of the National Chemical Sector Foresight Panel, as a member of the EPSRC User Panel, as a Member of Liverpool University Council and as a Director of LGC, an Analytical Services company. 

Chris Hunt is Director General of the UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA), Gareth James is Works General Manager, BP Acetyls Hull, Paul Londesborough is the Vice President and Site Director of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical and Phil Coates is Pro Vice Chancellor for Research & Knowledge Transfer, and Professor of Polymer Engineering at the University of Bradford. Together they will support and advise Cogent on its remit to boost business performance through the development of skills at every level.

Joanna Woolf, Cogent’s CEO said: “We are delighted to welcome Chris, Gareth, Paul and Phil to the Cogent SSC Board. These important appointments provide us with extensive experience in our industries and specific expertise in the downstream, chemicals and pharmaceutical industries, as well as academia.

“While the Cogent industries are diverse, they share many common skills and recruitment challenges, and the combined experience of our new Board members will be invaluable in supporting the development and promotion of new standards and qualifications as well as helping us in our task of boosting the careers attractiveness of these vital industries. Our new Board members will also provide critical input into our longer term strategic positioning.”

The Annual PIA awards are a highlight for the plastics industry, bringing together  companies and suppliers, innovators,  training and development experts, opinion formers and some of the  brightest young people working   in the business. Last year, Cogent was delighted to sponsor the Apprentice of the Year. For  2006, the  focus is on the best Training  and Development programme  run by the industry.

For more information visit http://www.plasticawards.com

Joanna Woolf, Cogent’s CEO,  says that the Cogent industries must get to grips with some pressing skills issues:  “How we manage and upskill our people is arguably a better predictor of performance than good strategy, good technology or even good R&D, as all these are completely dependant on having the right skills in place in the first place. Cogent is working closely with employers to develop the solutions we need and to close the gaps”. 

Cogent will be presenting a detailed picture of what needs to be done towards the middle of this year, but in the meantime Joanna Woolf is saying to employers: “your views really do count”. She is keen for employers to comment on the report, online, by e-mail, or by attending one of the planned workshops.  Click here to register for a Cogent workshop.

The assessments can be downloaded via the Cogent home page at www.cogent-ssc.com

The analysis identifies four clear challenges for the Cogent Sector:

1.       Innovation This is clearly employers’ top priority. They know that competing on cost alone is no longer enough. Innovation and continuous improvement can only flow from the skills and creative contribution of employees at every level. The shift to becoming high value, specialist producers will only happen in companies committed to learning and development.

2.       Cogent has identified skills issues in management and leadership, particularly around change management, business management, safety, health and environment management and business improvement techniques. Career paths appear to be underdeveloped, with limited opportunities to progress from operative to management level.

3.       Skill gaps - the extent to which employees have the level and range of skills they need to be fully proficient in their current job - are worse in the Cogent sector than in UK business as a whole.  This is a real concern in the industries whose licence to operate depends on them working to the highest standards in safety, health and environment. The main problem areas are in technical skills, and in core behavioural traits such as communications, business improvement, customer service and the ability to work in teams.

4.       Workforce Demand and Industry Attraction.  With an ageing workforce, demand for new recruits in the Cogent industries in the next ten years will be high - and Cogent urges employers to look beyond the traditional pool of white males who dominate the sector to find the talented people they need. 

Cogent also warns that the sector is poorly understood by outsiders, which hinders its ability to attract the most able young people into a career in the sector. It therefore wants to see more work with schools and the media to overcome negative perceptions. 

Sector Skills Agreements are being produced for every sector which is supported by a Sector Skills Council including Cogent. The aim of these agreements is to secure for each sector the range and level of skills necessary to achieve productivity at internationally competitive levels. 

The Energy Research Partnership (ERP) brings together top energy industry executives, Whitehall officials and senior academics in a Treasury-inspired initiative designed to give strategic direction to UK energy research, development, demonstration and deployment.

The Partnership, which also aims to help increase the level and impact of national R&D activity, will be co-chaired by Sir David King, the Government’s Chief Scientist, and Dr Paul Golby, Chief Executive of E.ON UK.

“Our aim is to take a visionary lead on research and innovation,” said Sir David.

“We’ll be looking to influence the development and deployment of new technologies designed to support the Government’s energy policy.”

Dr Golby said: “Energy, and how we produce and use it, is one of the greatest challenges that we face as a country as we move into the 21st-century.

“Together, we must play our part in tackling climate change head on and ensure that the Energy Research Partnership comes up with viable solutions to those challenges and address the issues that will affect our children and future generations.”

The Partnership will initially focus on:

• Identifying approaches and technologies to accelerate carbon reduction and maintain security of supply;
• Achieving a step change in the rate of energy innovation in the UK by considering how the UK supports energy research and development;
• Addressing the high level skills shortages in the energy sector and communicating the exciting and challenging opportunities that the energy sector offers.

In this way the Partnership seeks to promote a coherent approach to addressing energy research activity and assist the Government and industry in addressing issues and barriers to the deployment of new energy technologies.

It will also be working towards the main objectives of the Government’s Energy White Paper, including a reduction of CO2 emissions by 60% by about 2050, the maintenance of reliable power supplies, the promotion of competitive markets and ensuring that every home is adequately and affordably heated.

The Department says that the proposed reforms will equip the sector to deliver 14-19 and Skills Strategies, and meet the enormous challenge of future skills needs for the economy. The White Paper includes the Government’s response to Sir Andrew Foster’s review into the future role of FE colleges, including provisions to drive up the quality of teaching and make the sector more responsive to the skills needs of employers

The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) said that it would like to have seen greater recognition given to sectors and urged the Government for greater articulation on how Sector Skills Councils should help ensure the employer voice for the whole sector is known, articulated and influential in the planning and delivery of skills provision.

However, the SSDA did welcome:

• a shift towards an economically focused Further Education system.
• an FE budget more focused on employer involvement;
• the commissioned element of the funding system which is more employer-led;
• the explicit links between Sector Skills Councils and Train to Gain;
• the proposal for the Quality Improvement Agency to work with the Skills for Business network on Levels 2 and 3;
• the involvement of Sector Skills Councils in the development and endorsement of the Quality Mark for colleges;
• specialisation which links National Skills Academies to network of specialist colleges so that sector needs drive the nature and volume of provision;
• the new learner entitlements for all 19-25 year olds studying advance level courses from 2007/8.
• The introduction of skills accounts, but recommends these need to be 3-way involving individuals, employers and Government;
• increased resources for Train to Gain -  but it would want to work with the Learning and Skills Council so SSCs can offer greater coherence to the employer focused products through Sector Skills Agreements and Sector Qualifications Strategies.

Speaking at the recent Association of Teachers and Lecturers annual conference, Jacqui Smith said that investment in teachers, lecturers and support staff is essential in delivering high quality Diplomas that will engage young people in learning, ensuring that by 2015 nine out of ten will choose to stay on in post-16 education or training.

Cogent is currently progressing the new Engineering Diploma along with lead SSC SEMTA. Cogent is also involved in the Manufacturing Diploma, and work on this has just started. Click here to find out more about the Engineering Diploma.

Jacqui Smith said: "Record levels of investment, radical reform, and the hard work of education staff are working hand-in-hand to ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. But in the end it is only pupils' own hard work and the skill of teachers, lecturers and support staff that will guarantee success. That is why we will invest in the workforce, making sure that it has the skills, support and capacity to deliver high quality and engaging diplomas."

From 2008, the first five of 14 specialised Diplomas will be available to young people alongside the existing curriculum, giving them the opportunity to study high quality work-related qualifications in classroom and workplace environments.

£50 million will be available over the next two years to help schools and colleges as they prepare to deliver the first Diplomas, funding key delivery partners to support the development of school and college staff through, for example:

* specific training programmes and dedicated teaching resources developed by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and Quality Improvement Agency for teaching and support staff to help them deliver effective and engaging diploma courses;

* recruiting additional vocational teaching staff and upskilling the existing workforce to teach vocational subjects, by the Training and Development Agency for Schools and Lifelong Learning UK;

* sharing expertise in leadership capability, management, and collaborative working to support effective leadership of 14-19

Schools and colleges that aim to deliver the first Diplomas will also need to work together with their local authorities to pass a 'gateway' process, assessing their capacity to deliver them against a number of stringent criteria.

The newly developed guidance and standard is aimed at managers and employees responsible for the transportation of petroleum products including unleaded petroleum, diesel, gas oil, aviation turbine kerosene (ATK), heavy fuels (black oils), bitumens and lubricants.

The new skills framework is fully supported by the recently formed UK Downstream Oil Distribution Forum (UKDODF) which includes the Transport and General Workers Union, Oil Companies, Haulage Contractors and Sector Skills Councils. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Alan Johnson MP has also given his full backing.

Those involved in petroleum transportation have always relied on in-house training put in place by downstream employers. While this training reflected employers’ highly responsible approach to health and safety, it was not based upon any national standards - nor was it consistent across the petroleum industry.

The system was fragmented among the different companies, was subject to varying principles and was not easily transferable between employers and locations. This was leading to inefficient duplication and in some cases a lack of focus on some key safety critical issues.

Tanker drivers will receive a certificate which will be transferable and can form part of their CV, so that when they change jobs they can highlight achievement of this safety critical standard.

Cogent Downstream Skills Adviser, Walter Williamson, who was instrumental in drafting the standard said: “There is now potential to extend this standard across other industries as transportation of hazardous and supply chain critical materials is a key activity for many employers, particularly in the chemical sector.”

Mike Lynham is the new Director of Skills for Wales. Mike is the Plant Manager of Newport-based Solutia UK, part of the global speciality chemicals manufacturing company Solutia Inc, of St Louis USA.  He joined the company in 1974, and has held a variety of key posts including Engineering Manager, Logistics Manager and HR and Environment, Health and Safety Manager.

Cogent CEO Joanna Woolf said: “Cogent is working to address both current and future skills needs for Welsh employers in its footprint. Mike Lynham will support Cogent’s work with Welsh companies to help them address some of the issues surrounding careers opportunities, skills shortages, and recruitment and employee retention."

Cogent is also pleased to announce the appointment of James Murdock as Education and Qualifications Director. James was previously Director of Curriculum at Carlisle College and has a wealth of experience in academia and vocational training.

Joanna Woolf added: “This crucial role will support our work to address the skills gaps across our sector through a coherent structure of integrated and standards-based qualifications. James will work closely with our research team who are undertaking comprehensive research to identify the skills Cogent sector workforce currently holds as well as identifying those that will be needed in the future."

• energy policy to recognise and reflect the fact that the UK will become more, not less, dependent on oil and gas for its energy supply over the next 15 to 20 years
• the establishment of a separate department and the appointment of a Secretary of State with responsibility to develop and provide leadership on energy policy

In its submission, UKOOA argues that energy supply in a modern, highly developed economy is a matter of such strategic importance that it demands much greater prominence within government than it currently has in the UK. The trade body claims that the UK's need for a Secretary of State at the head of a separate government department with expertise in energy matters is particularly pressing.

Energy policy, which includes demand as well as supply side issues, now needs to be given its own place, with connections to all parts of government and better representation in the EU and internationally. Malcolm Webb, UKOOA's chief executive, said: "Energy policy is currently being determined by a number of separate teams in different departments right across government. We need clear and coherent leadership from a single source within government."

Government forecasts show that the country's dependence on oil and gas will increase rather than diminish over the next decade. Oil and gas currently provide about three quarters of primary energy supplies and this is forecast to increase to 80 percent or more by 2020. That which the UK does not produce itself will have to be imported, at significant extra cost to the economy.

Malcolm Webb added: "There is a real risk that a significant portion of the country’s oil and gas reserves will remain undeveloped, or even unexplored, thanks to the policy conflicts arising out of this multi-departmental approach.”

The current growing need for a skilled and qualified workforce has led to the development of this new training scheme by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB).

TECSkills has been designed to make training more accessible both for new starters to the industry and for existing skilled and semi skilled craftspersons to develop their skills. The objective of TECSkills is to provide a training route which develops the individuals’ skills and knowledge and brings them up to a level of skill which is directly mapped against N/SVQs. It is also an effective route to N/SVQs for people who have not taken a formal apprenticeship, and to help them gain recognition for the skills they have developed.

A flexible scheme
TECSkills is a flexible training scheme for craft and other site operatives and is unit-based. It covers specific elements of individual trades as well as common elements, which include good working practices and site safety.  It may be used for basic training of new entrants, or to enhance the skills of existing site-based staff. A range of grants are available to ECITB levy paying companies to support individuals taking the course.

Tony Featherstone, Director of Customer Services at the ECITB says, “TECSkills is a new training initiative which we see as a vehicle for all future training products. It provides training on or off-the-job and this makes it ideal not just for trainees, but for people working in the industry who want to work towards formal skills recognition, and for people like military personnel with existing skills they need to convert.”

Timed to coincide with the initiation of company business plans and their underpinning Budgets for 2007, the Planning and Budgeting for Success: The Plastics Industry 2007 conference will provide a guide to the key underlying assumptions and potential factors which could blow progress off course.

Subjects covered will include:

• Economic prospects and plastics industry competitiveness
• Materials Pricing, Supply and Hedging Trends
• Utilities Costs
• Insurance Costs
• Transport Costs
• Employment and Workforce Trends
• Money Management and Risk

Cogent Polymer Skills Expert Chris Bayliss will also present on how key training interventions can significantly improve productivity.

Click here for a brochure.

For more information please telephone Doreen Greenaway on 0207 457 5047 or email [email protected] .

These services could include, for example:

• Competence Assurance Systems
• Skills Passports
• E-Learning
• Training Funding
• Brokerage, Skills and Training Needs Audits

To assist in the evaluation of these Cogent would welcome your views on the potential they may have for adding value to your organisation, please call John Browne on 01925 515200.