What is an SSA?
Sector Skills Agreements (SSAs) aim to influence how skills and business support services are developed, delivered and funded within a given sector.
The agreements focus on both national sector issues and regional concerns, and aim to help business support and training to better meet the needs of industry.
The environmental and land-based SSA is being developed by Lantra. The project occurs in five stages:
Why do it?
To increase UK industries’ productivity.
Many companies are not working as efficiently as they could and are falling behind global competition.
Two out of three employers admit they have problems recruiting employees with suitable skills. Staff who already work in industry often struggle to keep their skills up-to-date and access the training they need.
Research shows that skills development improves business performance, increases productivity and maximises profitability. For every pound invested in training, the return can be between £3 and £6. Trained workers are 8% more productive but command only 3.3% higher wages.
The agreement aims to ensure that everybody who works in the sector can access the skills and business support they need, with improved funding arrangements. Businesses will be able to recruit new entrants with suitable qualifications and skills, while the current workforce will have improved access to learning opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge they need.
Who is involved?
The agreement has been made between:
Lantra works with employers, sole traders, trade associations, unions, education and training providers, funding agencies, governments and stakeholders from the UK environmental and land-based sector.
Employers originated the agreement by telling Lantra about their current and future skills and business support problems.
The SSA is used to encourage and negotiate with all stakeholders. It aims to help awarding bodies and providers tailor their products and services to meet business needs and influence future funding policies.
Industry action plan
The industry action plan builds on and develops the actions required to meet industry’s skills development needs in the priority areas identified. It highlights the policies that need to be influenced and points towards actions and resources that employers, providers, stakeholders and partners, as well as Lantra, will need to commit to. This will enable them to achieve the aim of a developing a skilled and productive workforce, equipped to meet the demands of the fisheries management industry.
You can read the industry action plan in the fIsheries management SSA report above.
