about the skills sector

The skills sector can seem very confusing at first. This section will help you make sense of the sector and let you find the organisation that can help you.

Workforce Hub

The Workforce Hub exists to link any charities, voluntary organisations, not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, social economy organisations or third sector organisations to the appropriate sector skills councils, or if none exists, to work with the SSDA to represent their interests.

Skills for Business Network

The Skills for Business Network is The Employers’ voice in skills development. It consists of the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) and 25 Sector Skills Councils (SSC). The Skills for Business network is tasked with tackling skills gaps and shortages across the UK.

The network’s key objectives are to:

• Improve UK productivity, business and public service performance
• Reduce skills gaps and shortages
• Increase opportunities for employers to boost the skills and productivity of everyone in their sector
• Improve the quality of learning supply at all levels

Sector Skills Development Agency

The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) is a government Agency with UK-wide remit

The SSDA’s relationship with the SSCs is to provide core funding, support and monitor them. The SSDA leads on cross-sector themes, eg Management and leadership, IT users, customer service. It also provides cover for sectors without an SSC, eg Voluntary sector, local government, car parking, hairdressing

Sector Skills Councils

Each Sector Skills Council (SSC) is an employer-led, independent organisation that covers a specific sector across the UK. The four key goals are:

• to reduce skills gaps and shortages
• improve productivity, business and public service performance
• increase opportunities to boost the skills and productivity of everyone in the sector's workforce
• improve learning supply including apprenticeships, higher education and National Occupational Standards (NOS).

working together

The voluntary and community sector interface with SSCs and SSDA at various levels:

• the workforce hub works with SSDA at a strategic UK level
• members of the voluntary and community sector organisations sit on boards of SSCs
• NICVA works closely with SSCs in Northern Ireland that have a footprint in the voluntary and community sector

The aim of working together is to ensure that the voice of the voluntary and community sector is heard and its needs are met, as well as influencing skills strategies.