The Automotive Academy has warmly welcomed the news that SEMTA, the sector skills council for the science, engineering and manufacturing industries, has been selected as one of the first national skills academies.
These new national skills academies will focus on training and developing young people, but also adults, to help in creating jobs, tackling skills shortages and driving up productivity.
The Manufacturing Academy, to open by September 2006, will focus on training in engineering and manufacturing skills, leadership and management. It will encourage more people to consider a career in the industry by offering real opportunities for progression and skills development. This will be linked closely to vocational education in the school system making sure they will deliver ways to support progression and the transfer of skills qualifications.
Chief Executive, Dr Alan Begg, said, ‘The Automotive Academy has already started raising productivity and skills levels throughout the automotive manufacturing industry. Our courses and programmes are already aligned with the sector skills agreement run by SEMTA so our work compliments the future Manufacturing Academy. We look forward to continuing to work closely with SEMTA and we wish them well as they develop this important initiative.’
Notes: National skills academies were announced in the DfES Skills White Paper in March. 23 Sector Skills Councils expressed initial interest from which four were selected – SEMTA (manufacturing), Construction Skills (construction), IMPROVE (food and drink) and Financial Skills Council (financial skills) Government plans to have at least 12 national skills academies – one for each major sector. A second round of bids will be published in Spring 2006.
More from: http://www.automotiveacademy.co.uk
