One of our services to employers is the provision of labour market intelligence. Drawn from extensive research these market assessments and predictions enable the sector’s industries to plan their workforce development needs. They also guide our advisers in the creation of appropriate advice and bespoke training and competence assurance  products. (See Research and Policy)

Sector Skills Agreements, (SSAs) were first announced in the Government’s Skills Strategy, “ to secure for each sector the range and level of skills in its labour force  that are necessary to achieve productivity at internationally competitive levels.

Cogent is in the second tranche of SSC’s embarking on these agreements with employers.  The SSA process will develop the mechanism for Cogent to influence the supply of training and skills  relevant to employers and formalise their commitment against an agreed, costed and sector focused action plan. 

The Sector Skills Agreement  process

Liz Rooney leads Cogent’s Research and Policy Team. She explained  how the SSA process will work.

“The Cogent SSA will, like all others, depend on robust labour market information, in terms of the current skills needs of the industries, and the predicted needs in the medium and longer term. The SSA will bring together each industry to prioritise key areas for collaborative action.  

"At the same time it will fully investigate the current provision from both public and private providers. It will match this provision to current needs, and will indicate where future needs will require changes in provision.

"Finally, Cogent will broker the development of a costed action plan, detailing the contribution expected from all parties to the agreement, in order to maintain and enhance workforce competency and productivity in the light of predicted scientific and technological changes, along with the well documented replacement demand.”

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