11 July 2005

Proskills – Skills initiative gears up for success

On Wednesday, 06 July, Proskills, the new Government backed skills and training organisation for the process and manufacturing industries, was recommended to receive a licence to operate from the Education and Skills Secretary, Ruth Kelly. The BPIF, which has been firmly involved in supporting the new organisation, and has contributed £50,000 on behalf of the printing industry, is delighted that Proskills has been given the go-ahead. This decision is the culmination of a concerted effort from employers across the manufacturing sector and gives the official go-ahead to Proskills as a Sector Skills Council. As a result, personnel from supporting organisations in the Print, Coatings, Building Products, Extractives and Glass industries will join Proskills on 1st August. With experienced staff drawn from industry and a board consisting of senior people from each of the industries, Proskills is firmly rooted in the practical world of the sector and is determined to achieve its aims: providing the authoritative voice of employers for the sectors’ training needs, defining existing skills gaps, ascertaining skills priorities and developing standards and qualifications. “Proskills offers employers in the processing and manufacturing industries a great opportunity,” comments CEO, Terry Watts, “ By joining together these five industry sectors, which have much in common both demographically and in their regional spread, they will be stronger and more effective in their dealings with Government. As a larger and unified organisation, Proskills will be able to maximize Government funding as well as benefiting from the economies of scale, both financially and organisationally. Together these industries form the heart of UK manufacturing – they deserve a stronger voice – Proskills will give them that voice.” Currently five industry groups are being formed, consisting of participants in each sector. The groups will provide the organisation with a check and balance, having the ability to question Proskills’ activities and its achievements. Each group will be chaired by an “employer champion”, who will also be a Proskills board member. This will ensure that employers’ needs are kept at the top of the Proskills agenda. Feedback from recent Proskills consultative Roadshows that visited sites in the English regions as well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, discovered a wealth of enthusiasm for the new organisation and a willingness to get actively involved with the process. For further information please go to www.proskills.org.uk or email [email protected].