Frequently Asked Questions

General
Funding
Employers (SMEs to FTSE 100)
National Skills Academies in practice
Progress to date–three phases of National Skills Academy development
Applying to bid for a National Skills Academy

General

Why should employers want to be involved in National Skills Academies?

National Skills Academies give employers a unique opportunity to lead the development and delivery of training which meets the needs of their sector.

The benefits for employers will be:

an opportunity to design a sector specific curriculum which results in employees with the skills that business needs
an opportunity to have direct influence on the corporate governance and strategic management of their Skills Academy
consistent quality of national delivery of training
improved flow of new entrants to the sector
improved training and re-skilling of existing workforce
an opportunity to influence wider educational networks in schools.

Who should be involved in the development of proposals for a National Skills Academy?

Initial ideas may come from a wide range of organisations with an interest in raising skill levels. Proposals must, however, be led by employers and should also be supported by the relevant Sector Skills Council.

Does a National Skills Academy have to deliver learning?

Yes. Whatever model employers choose that best meets the needs of their sector, the National Skills Academy must deliver learning. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) would expect a National Skills Academy to lead and develop links with networks of specialist providers across the sector. This could include networks of colleges, Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs), specialist schools, HE institutions and other providers across the sector.

How does the FE Reform White Paper affect the National Skills Academies programme?

The White Paper reaffirms the central role National Skills Academies have in the drive towards greater specialisation. National Skills Academies will sit at the apex of specialised sector-based networks, bringing together colleges, private training providers, specialist vocational schools and other relevant providers. Many colleges will in future be specialising in a vocational area.

How do National Skills Academies differ from Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs)?

National Skills Academies have a national role offering training opportunities that meet national sector skill needs. They are led by employers and sit at the apex of specialist networks of providers including CoVEs, private training providers, employers and others.

Does every sector have to have a National Skills Academy?

The Skills White Paper sets out the LSCs intention to develop an initial network of 12 National Skills Academies by 2008, with a view to establishing over time at least one for each major sector of the economy. We expect Sector Skills Councils to take a leading role in developing a National Skills Academy if that is what the sector considers is required.

Does a National Skills Academy have to be aimed at particular groups of learners?

We expect that employers will identify the groups of learners that are the priority for the sector. This may include targeting some /all the existing workforce or developing new entrants. We do, however, expect National Skills Academies to comply with legislative requirements such as those on equality and diversity.

What is the difference between a National Skills Academy and other Academies emerging?

All forms of academies have a specialism and sponsors who will invest funds and will be involved in their strategic management.

National Skills Academies focus on vocational education and skills training, delivering to young people (16-19 year olds) and adults and are sector-based centres of excellence with national reach.

Other types of Academy include:

27 School Academies currently open, with plans for 200 by 2010. These are independent local schools for local children which deliver an innovative curriculum, including both academic and vocational studies for young people up to the age of 19.
There are plans for several 16-19 Academies which will be set up as FE Colleges while having the ethos of an academy. These are aimed at disengaged learners and encouraging young people who may not have participated in post-16 education.

If you want to know more about these other forms of academies then contact the Sponsorship Team, Academies Division, Department for Education and Skills (DfES) on 0207 925 5611 or log on to swww.standards.dfes.gov.uk/academies.

Funding

What constitutes ‘employer investment’?

Sponsorship funding is critical to the establishment of a National Skills Academy. We expect sponsors to make a significant investment in a form and at a level which demonstrably adds to the current investment in skills being made by that sector or sub sector. This investment will include cash as it will be required to help set up a National Skills Academy, fund development costs (including capital) and ensure that a Skills Academy is sustainable. It is for each sector to determine with its employers the level of investment required.

Do employers have to contribute to the capital costs of a National Skills Academy?

Yes. We are looking for employers to contribute to the initial development of a National Skills Academy. In most cases we expect this would involve some element of upfront capital investment. Where there is a capital element we are expecting employers sponsoring the Skills Academy to fund around 50% of the capital costs, around 35% to come from Government via the LSC, and the remainder from other sources.

What public funding is available to support National Skills Academies?

The LSC provides funding to support Skills Academies during the business planning phase. Once business plans have been agreed and subject to LSC funding priorities, National Skills Academies may draw on capital and revenue funding from the LSC. This funding will be available alongside the investment from employers.

Is public funding available if employers feel that HE provision is a priority for the sector?

We know that in some sectors employers are likely to identify skills at levels 4 and 5 as a priority. We would expect this to be clearly set out in the expression of interest. We would also expect the expression of interest to identify organisations that may be able to deliver provision at that level.

The Assessment Panel would then seek advice from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and other key partners on the expression of interest and consider the availability of public funding.

What kind of funding are you looking for from employers wishing to develop a National Skills Academy in the public sector?

The National Skills Academies programme is open to both the private and public sectors. One of the key aims for the National Skills Academies programme is to increase employer investment in skills and training.

In the public sector we are looking for a National Skills Academy to generate additional investment in the infrastructure for skills supply. That means that we would expect to see employers in the public sector making additional funding available to support the development and sustainability of a National Skills Academy.

Employers (SMEs to FTSE 100)

Is it possible to have more than one National Skills Academy in a sector/in a Sector Skills Council “footprint”?

Yes. The LSC recognises that some employers may want to provide funds and support a National Skills Academy that focuses on the needs of a particular “sub-sector” rather than the whole sector. Where this is the case the LSC will consider more than one expression of interest from a sector. For example, Cogent has helped to shape two academies; one for process industries and one for nuclear. However, we would expect to see evidence that proposals complement rather than overlap with each other. For the first 12 National Skills Academies we are aiming to achieve as broad a representation of the economy as possible.

Can a National Skills Academy go outside the boundaries of an SSC?

Yes. We would be happy to consider expressions of interest from employers who want to work across SSC boundaries to develop a National Skills Academy which covers common skills needs. We are looking for employers to develop models for National Skills Academies that make sense and work for them.

We are looking for all National Skills Academies to work together where there areas of common ground to spread best practice and avoid unnecessary duplication wherever possible.

Who are potential sponsors?

Sponsors will be either an individual employer or groups of employers. The sponsors will need to work closely with the ongoing development of the National Skills Academy and Regional Skills Partnerships. They will bring a record of business experience and knowledge to share with experienced learning providers.

What unites sponsors is a commitment to high quality vocational education and training, recognition of the contribution they can make to increasing productivity and performance in the sector, and a desire to drive through change.

What are the roles of sponsors?

Sponsors bring:

a vision which inspires and motivates everyone involved;
financial resources to create and support the National Skills Academy;
an understanding of businesses operating in the sector;
first hand knowledge of the needs of employers for vocational education and training, and how that supports performance and productivity;
a commitment to high quality vocational education and training and continuous improvement;
fresh ideas, an enthusiasm for innovation, and a challenge to traditional ways of thinking.

Why should employers want to be involved in National Skills Academies?

National Skills Academies give employers a unique opportunity to lead the development and delivery of training which meets the needs of their sector.

The benefits for employers will be:

an opportunity to design a sector specific curriculum which results in employees with the skills that business needs
an opportunity to have direct influence on the corporate governance and strategic management of their Skills Academy
consistent quality of national delivery of training
improved flow of new entrants to the sector
improved training and re-skilling of existing workforce
an opportunity to influence wider educational networks in schools.

Who should be involved in the development of proposals for a National Skills Academy?

Initial ideas may come from a wide range of organisations with an interest in raising skill levels. Proposals must, however, be led by employers and supported by the relevant Sector Skills Council.

How are employers involved in the development of these proposals?

In agreement with the LSC, each of the sectors developing business plans has put together project teams to manage the development of their National Skills Academy. All project teams involve employers in the development of business plans.

Can small businesses get involved in National Skills Academies?

National Skills Academies are open to all employer views and welcome all potential sponsors.

In agreement with the LSC each of the sectors developing business plans has put together a project team to manage the development of their National Skills Academy. All project teams involve employers in the development of business plans and all National Skills Academies will attract additional investment from employers.

If employers are interested in taking forward this opportunity they should contact their Sector Skills Council (SSC contact details are on the Sector Skills Development Agency web-site).

The employer panel that assesses at the expression of interest stage has a SME representative. Once the Business Plan is submitted for approval it then also goes out to other partners, including small business organisations.

National Skills Academies in practice

What form will the National Skills Academies take?

In some cases, Skills Academies will have their own buildings, but the training environments will be flexible - for example at National Skill Academy accredited training centres or at an employer’s site.

National Skills Academy Centres comprise a wide range of training organisations, and will be organised to ensure a good geographical spread of opportunities for learners to follow specialist courses. Learners can also follow some training courses through distance learning techniques, including e-learning.

What role will a National Skills Academy have in delivering Diplomas?

We are looking for National Skills Academies to work with Diploma Development Partnerships and others to develop content, teaching and learning materials and other arrangements to support their delivery, including the engagement of key employers in the sector.

Any organisation wishing to get involved in piloting the new Diplomas will need to go through the Gateway process outlined in the 14-19 Implementation Plan in order to determine at what point they will be ready to provide Diplomas. Expressions of interest for the 2008 Diploma pilots will be sought later in 2007.

Progress to date–three phases of National Skills Academy development

What progress has been made so far?

There have been three phases of selection of National Skills Academies and the earliest of these to be selected are already operational.

Currently:
On 31 October 2006, the first three National Skills Academies were given full approval. These are Construction, Financial Services and Manufacturing, which join the trailblazer Fashion Retail Academy. These skills academies have all now opened their doors to learners and begun the process of transforming skills development within their sectors. Food & Drink Manufacturing is the next National Skills Academy scheduled to go live in summer 2007.

The next four National Skills Academies, selected in Round 2, are developing detailed Business Plans, and they should be ready to launch later in the year. These are Creative and Cultural Industries, Nuclear, Process Industries and Hospitality.

Expressions of interest for Round 3 were received in spring 2007. On 14 June 2007 National Skills Academies from the following sectors were approved to begin the business planning phase:

Glass manufacture, coatings, print, and building products
sport and active leisure
fashion, textiles, and jewellery;
and retail

Applying to bid for a National Skills Academy

We may want to submit an expression of interest in future. What should it cover and in how much detail?

The expression of interest should demonstrate that employers have considered the guidelines set out in the Prospectus. The format asks for around six pages that focus on:

the vision
responsiveness to skill needs
high quality national delivery structures
a sustainable model.

What models are you looking for?

There is no single “best” model for a National Skills Academy. We are looking for employers to propose models for a National Skills Academy which meets the needs of their sector. This means that models are likely to vary. There is not a “one size fits all” solution, and we welcome new and innovative ideas.

We don’t really fit into areas currently covered by a Sector Skills Council. Can we still bid?

Whilst we will consider expressions of interest from employers in a sector that is not covered by a Sector Skills Council we are keen to encourage all proposals to be developed with the support of the appropriate Sector Skills Council. We believe that employers would benefit from being part of a wider vocational network such as that provided by the most relevant Sector Skills Council.

You should pursue links with your most relevant Sector Skills Council about how you could work with them in developing a proposal. A list of Sector Skills Councils can be found at www.ssda.org.uk. If you are unsure who to contact please telephone the Sector Skills Development Agency on 01709 765444.

How do you express an interest in setting up a National Skills Academy?

For more information about how to get involved in the National Skills Academy network you can visit the network website.

What happens when a partnership / SSC submits a proposal?

Stage one: The application

Following receipt of the Expression of Interest the proposal will be assessed against the following key criteria:

the vision
responsiveness to skill needs
high quality national delivery structures
a sustainable model.

This initial appraisal is reviewed and tested by an employer panel consisting of senior employers along with partners from the Department for Education and Skills, Learning and Skills Council, Department of Trade and Industry, SSDA and Small Business Service.

Following this, the panel will agree those bidders who are the strongest to move to the interview stage. At this point unsuccessful applicants will be notified and feedback offered. Those moving into the interview stage will also be given initial feedback.

Stage two: The interview

The interview stage is an opportunity for those submitting their proposals to really sell their concepts and bring their visions alive. We invite proposers (comprising employers, SSCs and potential sponsors) to discuss their proposals in more detail. It is at this interview stage where we will be looking more closely at your responses to the four key criteria and expect you to demonstrate the motivation and commitment needed to make your National Skills Academy a successful one.

Stage three: The recommendation

The employer-led panel convenes to discuss the interviews, assess them against the criteria and agree to recommend to Ministers those applications which are strong enough to proceed to developing full business plan.

Stage four: Next steps

After consideration of the recommendations of the panel Ministers will announce their decisions.

Further information

You should initially discuss your ideas, questions and any issues with your SSC. A list of SSCs can be found at www.ssda.org.uk. If you are still unsure who to contact, please telephone the Sector Skills Development Agency on 01709 765444. If, after discussions with your SSC, there are outstanding queries then please contact the National Skills Academies Team at the LSC by email to Alan.Barker@lsc.gov.uk