Cogent and the three new Skills Academies in our footprint exist because it’s recognised that none of this will happen by default. There are simply too many bits of the skills system for success to be an inevitable outcome – standards, qualifications, providers, in-house training programmes, job centres…funding.

We are working and lobbying to get all the interlinked elements of this system working for you. Here are just some of the highlights we’ll continue to promote strongly over the coming 12 months – we need you to get involved so please get in touch with us.

Train to Gain

We’re shaping this demand-led funded programme so it meets your needs and it is linked to our Gold Standard (see article). The principle is simple: employers, backed by government funding, can get the training they need based on an assessment of their needs. From this year we’ll see matched funding for Level 3 qualifications and the government is piloting support for HE level programmes. We are urging companies to exploit the range of opportunities Train to Gain offers.

Apprenticeships

We are developing apprenticeships so that they are a natural and equal alternative to a straight academic route into a career.  Apprentices are our skilled employees of the future and will meet the ongoing demand for technicians in our sector. We are now looking for employers to support a variety of programmes in the regions – underpinned by our new tailor-made apprenticeship framework.

Higher level skills

We are equally concerned to meet our employer need for innovation and higher level skills and we’re engaging with universities to support them in re-examining how they can deliver what companies want. For example we’re designing industry-specific Foundation Degrees with employer input. This new vocational qualification is ideal for employees who can carry on doing their job while learning, and employers who appreciate the flexibility and the higher level skills it brings.

We are working with you to make sure that we have a training and education system that works for employers – delivering the skills that you need – when, where and how you need them. Our aspiration is for our sector to have the best trained workforce in the world, and to unlock all the talents of everyone in the Cogent industries.

Joanna Woolf
Chief Executive Officer