§ Baroness Blatchasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have plans for setting up sector skills councils; and, if so, when. [HL3320]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)We announced our intention to license sector skills councils (SSCs) in October 2001. Five trailblazer SSCs were announced in December. The new Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) will shortly invite employers to bring forward expressions of interest to form SSCs for their sectors. Expressions of interest will be assessed by the SSDA against the criteria detailed in the SSC development guide published in December. Successful sectors will receive funding to develop a full proposal within six months. The SSDA will recommend licences for those sectors whose proposals meet the SSC standard. To ensure that only those sectors where there is strong employer leadership and demand for a SSC come forward, there is no time limit by when employers must submit an expression of interest.