We are very grateful to everybody who has helped us by completing the online questionnaire and taking part in our interviews.

We  have been  analysing the information and we are now turning that into reports which we will share with you from the middle of December. 

In the meantime if you would like to speak to a member of the Cogent team about how the Sector Skills Agreement affects your business, contact Samantha McFadden 01925 515200, or email  [email protected]

Employer and government commitment

SSAs will only deliver success if employers tell us what skills they need and then show they will contribute to the cost of training and provide training at work.

The Government’s commitment is to support and effect the supply-side changes, with Sector Skills Councils brokering the deal. 

SSAs have had strong support from business because they are a dynamic process that looks at the whole skills picture at a strategic level, and because they allow employers a genuine opportunity to influence and shape education and skills provision.  

The collaborative approach across industries will identify what employers need now and in the future, helping to create more efficient and more relevant delivery  partnerships.

For many businesses with few resources and little time for examining their skills development needs, the SSAs will provide essential medium and long-term skills assessments, and a focus for encouraging employers to commit to improve skills and add value. 

Have your say 

If you would still  like to submit views or be interviewed in person, by phone or via email, please contact our Communications Manager Judith Cowan on 01925 515200 or [email protected]

Who else is involved?

Sector Skills Agreements required UK-wide collaboration. Cogent is brokering the SSA  in partnership with the Sector Skills Development Agency, (SSDA),  the Department for Education and Skills, (DfES), the Department for Trade and Industry, (DTI), and the Welsh Assembly, the Scottish Executive and the Department for Education and Learning Northern Ireland. 

Other partners include:

The Department  for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Confederation of British Industry (CBI)

Learning and Skills Council (LSC)

Regional Development Agencies (RDAs)

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)

Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)

The Union Learning Fund

The Union Academy

Universities UK

Small Business Council

Jobcentre Plus

SSAs: The Background