25 Jan 2007
On Monday 22nd January, at its headquarters at Congress House in London, unionlearn, the TUC’s learning and skills organisation joined forces with Cogent Sector Skills Council (SSC), by signing up to and endorsing the Cogent Sector Skills Agreement (SSA).
This follows close collaboration with Amicus,
Prospect and the TGWU to develop the industry-backed agreement, which sets out
the key training and development interventions for the Cogent industries. The
agreement is based on a two-year investigation into skills gaps and shortages,
aimed at identifying what training inputs are needed to tackle the skills
crisis facing Cogent’s industries. Cogent is the SSC for a number of
strategically important UK
industries: chemicals and pharmaceuticals oil and gas, and nuclear, petroleum
and polymers.
Commenting
on the agreement, Cogent CEO, Joanna Woolf, said: “The trades unions have a
central role to play in the implementation of Cogent’s Sector Skills Agreement
and we share a number of vitally important skills objectives. We look forward
to working with our sector’s unions and their representatives on our Board in
implementing this critical plan designed to enhance skills and boost
productivity across our industries.
“The
SSA is an unprecedented tool for getting employers committed to the drive for
skills and will support all those who develop and fund education and training
to work towards delivering skills around a common and agreed set of objectives.
It represents a move away from a centrally planned, sometimes inflexible skills
system to a demand-led network of training provision which meets real needs.”
Frances O’ Grady deputy secretary general of the TUC, attending the launch,
said: “The Cogent SSA recognises that trade unions’ experience in the areas of
equality and diversity, health and safety, and workplace learning is extremely
important. The depth of the Cogent Apprentices’ programme will give young
people, older people and those who have not traditionally thought about a
career in this industry, the chance to learn and enter a profession. This is a
real partnership that will deliver real change and allow those working in the
sector to unlock their potential, and as we know that will lead to better
opportunities, better pay and better morale.”
Liz Smith, Director
of unionlearn , also attending the launch, added: "I am delighted that
this agreement builds on the fantastic work that Union Learning Representatives
and unions generally are doing to change attitudes to learning. Often a simple
chat over a cup of tea will inspire people to think about learning again and
businesses are definitely benefiting from providing quality training. ULRs will
fully support the implementation of the Cogent SSA to support this aim."
Joanna
Woolf added: “Skills gaps are one of the biggest challenges facing the Cogent
industries. The UK
will never match the low-labour costs of our fast emerging competitor
economies. We must now compete on quality and innovation and that means
improving our skills base. We have a number of key programmes in place to
achieve this and it is now crucial that all parties work together to deliver
them.”
|
© Cogent SSC Ltd 2007 | Developed by 
