Product category:
Engineering Education, Resources and Standards
News Release from: Manufacturing Technologies Association
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 20 October 2006
Employers offered opportunity to shape
education
Dawn Vinall, Sector Strategy Group Manager at SEMTA, has launched a major project to develop a sector skills agreement.
Speaking to 80 senior representatives from the mechanical engineering sector and joined by Sir Alan Jones of Toyota, currently Chairman of SEMTA, at a specially organised Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) event last Thursday, 12th October in London, Dawn Vinall, Sector Strategy Group Manager at SEMTA, launched a major project to develop a sector skills agreement (SSA) The project will deliver the training and workforce skills the mechanical engineering needs to prosper and compete globally
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 1 Dec 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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SEMTA, the sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies, is an employer-led body licensed by Government to represent the skills and productivity needs of employers in its 'footprint'.
Sector skills agreements are a new form of demand-driven contract between sector employers, providers of education and training and funding bodies that map out the skills businesses need and how they will be supplied - now and in the future.
Development of a mechanical engineering SSA is part of a GBP 1 million project to establish agreements for all of the sectors SEMTA represents.
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Over the next 18 months SEMTA will work in partnership with employers, the MTA, government agencies and other stakeholders through a proven five-step process to reach an agreement.
Directors and senior managers from companies including Cincinnati Machine, Compact Orbital Gears, Hydratight, K Home International and Yamazaki Mazak UK have already joined the Mechanical Engineering Sector Strategy Group that will take this work forward, and SEMTA is looking for more employers to come onboard.
"This is a real opportunity for mechanical engineering sector employers to influence the skills agenda", said Vinall.
"Employer input throughout the whole process is key".
"With employers' help we will assess current and future skills needs and existing provision, make a detailed analysis of the gaps and weaknesses in the current system and draw up effective action plans".
Commenting on the agreement, MTA Director General Andrew Manly said: "We're pleased that this process is now underway and will continue to provide as much support to SEMTA as possible".
"We have already provided several members for the Sector Strategy Group from our Education and Training Committee to ensure that the needs of our sector are reflected in the final agreement and I know that our new President, Geoff Lloyd, MD of Heller Machine Tools, whose company runs an award winning apprenticeship programme is planning to become involved".
"Ensuring that our workforce has the right skills is of paramount importance if we are going to hold on to our competitive edge in a global marketplace".
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