Cogent's key objective is to support employers within its sector to improve competence, innovation, productivity and sustainability through workforce development. (see About us)

Cogent has grown in stature and influence and now presents a clear and powerful voice enabling industry to influence Government policy development and shape the outputs of training providers.

Listening to business: we want to hear what industry has to say about skills.

Cogent SSC is currently developing a Sector Skills Agreement with each of its five industries.

You can influence the future training provision and funding for your industry by giving us your views.

See the Sector Skills Agreement area, or the Nations and Regions area of this site to contact your local  Cogent Skills Adviser, or your industry focal point.

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A sound proposition for industry: 

Cogent's key objective

What joins us up as five industries

Compliance

Cogent’s sound proposition

Productivity levels

Achieving economies of scale in benchmarking and standards setting

The 14-19 White paper  

The Skills White Paper Getting on in Business, getting on in Work.

Why do we need workforce development? 

Our vision for the future

A sound proposition for industry. How Cogent is working with employers to develop  workforce capacity and improve productivity.

Cogent's key objective is to support employers within its sector in improving competency, innovation, productivity and sustainability through workforce development.

 Cogent currently represents the interests of more than 20,000 businesses employing  around a million people. Since our creation we have been building  on existing partnerships at regional and national level, including professional and trade bodies, Government departments and devolved administrations, and  other SSCs.

 Sector Skills Councils are independent, UK wide organisations developed by  influential employers  from sectors that are of economic or strategic significance. SSCs provide employers with the opportunity for coherent leadership and strategic action to meet their  sector’s  workforce capacity needs.

What joins us up as five industries is engineering, science and technology, and compliance with a range of regulatory requirements. Competence in our industries is not just a matter of quality it is also fundamental to your license to operate.

The industries within our sector are under constant and  intense scrutiny by single issue and environmental lobby groups, and yet the products and services they produce are used by everybody every day.

Keeping the processing or production lines open is essential to maintain output, profits and jobs, and that requires a competent workforce and effective monitoring of skills needs.  

It has been said that one of Cogent’s  key offerings is kite-marking for people so that they and their employers know what level of competence they have reached. 

Cogent has made a significant breakthrough in the international oil and gas  industry, where the model of UK compliance in upstream oil and gas  has been successfully applied internationally to demonstrate that companies can be trusted  to operate complex processes. 

At the same time as we move to exploit work with these  emerging markets we have a narrowing window of opportunity there and at home in the UK. That is why we need to be a flexible organisation that responds to the needs of employers and the reality of the market. 

Cogent is unique in that it covers 5 industries, so the challenge is in engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and promoting the value of collective action. 

Cogent’s sound proposition as a Sector Skills Council is that of leader, partner and adviser.

We are here to support the strategic co-ordination of industry’s long term workforce capacity needs, but we are also here to assist at an operational and individual level.

Whilst we could dwell on some of the inevitable difficulties that a task on this scale presents, it is fair to say that we have all moved a long way from the aspirational  rhetoric of  the past  to real collective action and collaboration between employers,  training providers and funding bodies;  and the education system, policy makers  and Government. 

Most of  UK plc seems to  accept that productivity levels are lagging behind European, North American and Far Eastern competitors, and we are delighted that  Government has moved to a long term strategic approach to  help  business close this gap, supporting a sectoral approach that is based on industry knowledge and experience  and real needs.

Whilst many businesses now accept the need to invest in  people for the  long  term, too many are unwilling or unable to do much about it.

That’s why the collective approach has to be the right route to guide employers through the cluttered landscape of agencies and providers and funding  and awarding bodies.

Cogent  understand the needs and the challenges of the  employers  in our  sector. We have been brokering projects between employers and providers, and, achieving  economies of scale in  benchmarking and standards setting, and encouraging employers to realise that whilst they are  in competition they can benefit from a partnership approach when it comes to developing their workforce.

Many of our sector’s businesses already acknowledge that industry creates the  wealth that allows employers and Government to re-invest in  educating , recruiting and training the next generation of wealth creators. There has been too much polarising of the debate about academic and vocational education routes. The 14-19 White paper   recently missed an opportunity  to nail the myth that the vocational route was  a second class option.  But the message from those involved in the consultation on the White Paper has obviously been heard and we are still keen to see some of the lost recommendations acted upon.

We could still do with greater clarity about the options around combining vocational and academic qualifications and we would  like to see clearer and more positive language used to describe the two paths, to more accurately reflect the range and level of  professional skills required in 21st century industry.

The 14-19  proposals and the new Skills White Paper will go some way to help Cogent and our partners to increase the attractiveness of careers in our industries, by showing young people the real opportunities and choices that will be open to them if they take the appropriate routes to becoming both academically competent and suitably skilled.

The Skills White Paper Getting on in Business, Getting on in Work also reinforces the role of Sector Skills Councils and  emphasises the importance of Sector Skills Agreements. Cogent welcomes the balanced position the White Paper seems to strike  between  improving productivity and  increasing individual’s social inclusion  by  improved employability. 

We are pleased to see the proposed roll-out of the National Employer Training Programme delivering free, flexible training for vocational qualifications to the equivalent of  five good GCSEs. 

It is heartening to see the Skills White Paper acknowledge that  there is concern about the  complexity of the skills landscape, and the promise of a simplified approach to brokerage and business support, under the direction of RDAs.  We look forward to seeing the outcome of the Regional Skills Partnerships’ review of brokerage and business support and subsequent action to make greater accessibility a reality.

Perhaps we could learn from what works well elsewhere.  For example in Scotland the   Executive functions don’t separate economic development and skills from enterprise  and industry, whereas in England responsibility rests with a number of  different departments.

Cogent, like other SSCs will, of course be keen to be involved in the brokerage functions,  drawing on our local and sectoral knowledge and contacts.

 We are also pleased to see the commitment to  create a network of Skills Academies as sector-based centres of excellence, raising the status and quality of vocational education and training.  

Why do we need workforce development?

Within the Cogent sector the challenge presented by skills gaps remains significant. In many areas, the  existing workforce is ageing, diversity does not reflect expected profiles and women are under-represented. 

Research has also highlighted a range of generic skills shortages across the sector including: Leadership; Communication and team working; information technology; organisation and management; problem solving and  diagnostic abilities. 

Our workforce development research shows that whilst the numbers of employees in the sector is declining overall, there is a continuing need to recruit, train and develop employees at technician, and associate professional levels in particular.  

The economic climate in which the sector operates also poses a number of major challenges for the five industries in our footprint.

 For example:

*           Diminished trade barriers and reduced national price differences are increasing competition in the chemicals industry.

*           The continued rise of the global economy threatens current delivery models in the oil and gas industries.

*           The changing market in petrol retailing in the UK.

*           Cheaper labour costs in India and China are having a substantial impact on the UK Polymer industry.

*           Government policy such as the 2004 Energy Act with long lasting implications for the decommissioning of civil nuclear sites

What can Cogent provide?

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.

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.”

Collective influence for employers

Cogent has grown in stature and influence and now presents a clear  and powerful voice enabling industry to influence Government policy development  and shape the outputs of  training providers. Cogent has come a long way in a short time, and it’s worth looking back at some of the recent  developments. 

Cogent manages the Upstream Oil and Gas Technician Training Modern Apprenticeship programme, securing co-operation and funding from all upstream operators. We manage all emergency response standards and provide monitoring  and approval of training providers.

We have a created a family of brands around careers in the industry- Options, Opportunities  and Outlook- aimed at  school children, graduates and people already in work.  

Cogent is bringing its experience  and knowledge  of  National Occupational Standards from other sectors to the nuclear industry, where it will provide a means of sharing best practice, transferability of skills and consistency of operation, and compliance with health and safety  regulations.

Cogent has been asked by the Chemistry Leadership Council to develop an industry-specific  training “Gold Standard”  to drive workforce skills up to a minimum standard of SV/NVQ level 3.  Cogent will be working to persuade Government  to align funding  with accredited qualifications under the banner of this gold standard.

At a regional level, Cogent has been identifying and co-ordinating skills priorities for a network of employers in Merseyside, Manchester, Yorkshire and Humberside, the North East and Scotland.

Cogent  has supported the development and approval of a  new Foundation Degree in Polymer Technology by West Nottingham College and Burton College, (with Staffordshire University as the awarding body). 

Prior to this degree, there was no industry related qualification between the Technical Certificate- which makes up part of the Modern Apprenticeship Framework- and the Master Degree in Polymer technology. 

In 2004, Cogent was appointed lead SSC to implement an energy efficiency training programme, in preparation for new Building Regulations effective from this April which stipulate high efficiency condensing boilers must be fitted  to new dwellings or used to replace older versions  in existing  dwellings.

Around 20,000 gas heating installers have signed up for the training, and 10,000 have already completed the Energy Installer Certificate City and Guilds 6084 level 3.

By 2010,  7.6million new efficient  condensing boilers will have been installed,  resulting in a reduction of 1.3million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. 

CSSL- (Cogent Sector Services Ltd).

Cogent has formed a subsidiary company - “CSSL-Cogent Sector Services Ltd” to deliver its Products and Services to its sector industries. CSSL is led by David Doig, based in Cogent’s Aberdeen office. “CSSL is focussed on the provision of skills solutions as identified by the employers.

The board of CSSL is made up of representation of the industry employers, regulators and academia and operates within the group of Cogent companies.

 The organisation is not for profit, has no shareholders and all financial contribution is reinvested in delivering services to the industry. 

CSSL is responsible on behalf of the upstream industry for ensuring the quality and content of key safety & emergency training for the workforce. It is also responsible for developing occupational standards and competence assurance systems for the Cogent sector industries. For the upstream industry the standards and training centres approvals trade under the “OPITO” brand which reflects their place of origin. [The Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation] 

CSSL's  standards-based approach to developing workforce capability is well respected and it is  having an impact worldwide.  There are now 17 countries which have adopted the CSSL/ OPITO standards and qualification frameworks. 

On behalf of the upstream industry CSSL has delivered:

26 Offshore Industry Emergency Response standards, to ensure the workforce is prepared to respond effectively in the event of an offshore emergency

• 56 training providers in 16 countries,  approved by OPITO to deliver the OPITO standards
• 25 job roles within the industry  covered by occupational standards developed and maintained by CSSL working with Industry workgroups
• An industry data base which records the training records of all personnel who have achieved the level of competence as set out within the OPITO standards.

“The OPITO/CSSL model has proven to deliver real value to the upstream oil & gas industry employers. There   are valuable operating  principles  which we can apply to our competence  assurance  and development work with our other industry  partners and stakeholders.”

 The OPITO/CSSL model  consists of 7 key elements:”

• Governance and strategic direction is made by the Industry

• All finance is reinvested into the business

• Standards content and learning outcomes are developed by the Industry to address the specific needs of the workplace and developing a competent workforce.

• All training is quality assured to ensure the safety of employees undertaking the training and employees performance is assessed against the learning outcomes as defined within the standards

• Further training focuses on only those activities which cannot be carried out in the workplace thus ensuring training duplication is minimised.

• The standards underpin Industry guidelines and regulation”

Challenges for the future

Our work programme is ambitious and challenging which is  a reflection of the drive within industry  to reach its full potential and compete on the world stage.

Cogent is tasked with providing a strategic focus for the needs of sector stakeholders now and in the future. To do this effectively, we need to build scenarios about what the sector might look like. Sector Skills Agreements will be the driver of future  Cogent strategy and will require commitment across the sector. We will be raising awareness of the SSA process through direct approaches to employers.

We will be pushing out messages for our sector around four themes: Innovation; competence; productivity and sustainability.

We also hope to secure the  support of key stakeholders in national  and regional government to urge businesses in their area  to seize the opportunity offered by SSAs to improve their performance in these four areas.

Our strategic engagement  team will be  talking to stakeholders and policymakers  in  Whitehall and Westminster and the devolved administrations over the summer.

Later this year, Cogent will be inviting influential figures to a series of breakfast seminars around the UK to take the results of the SSA process out for consultation, debate and commitments to action.

We are committed to acting as a leader on cross-industry issues, a partner to individual businesses and a valued adviser to individual employees.  Our vision for the future is to have a workforce with the skills and behaviours to address the sector’s needs today, and, the capacity to exploit the opportunities created by innovation and new technology so that the sector remains viable and competitive”   (Home)

For more information about Cogent visit www.Cogent-ssc.com or call 01224787800 or 01925515200.