Objectives
Activities

Skills and Education activities

The Skills & Education Workstream will tap into and exploit existing networks and resource, focusing primarily on the work being conducted by SEMTA, the sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies, and the priorities that have emerged from the Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) and the recommendations made under Chapter 7 of the EIGT report Electronics 2015 – Making a Visible Difference.

Core activities are:

Building on DTI/SEMTA audit of electronics training provision

SEMTA is currently undertaking extensive research to establish the quantity, quality and location of electronics courses delivered by a range of providers from further education colleges, universities, private training providers, centres of vocational excellence (CoVEs), government training organisations (GTOs) and others. A preliminary report will produce findings by the end of March 2006, with further follow-up analysis until June 2006. The report will aim to identify best practice and where gaps exist in the current provision.

Establishing a new National Skills Academy for Manufacturing (NSAM) including electronics

SEMTA were successful in September 2005 in their application via an expression of interest through the DfES to develop a business plan for an National Skills Academy for Manufacturing  (NSAM). Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling launched the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing, one of the first in a national network of academies that will put employers in the training driving seat, in January 2007.

Led by SEMTA, the Sector Skills Council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies, together with leading industry employers, the NSAM is part of a network of academies the Government wants to establish for all the major sectors of the economy to improve productivity and tackle skills shortages across the UK.

It will focus initially on training initiatives to develop and improve the skills of the UK’s existing workforce as part of the adult skills revolution called for by the recently-published Leitch Review of Skills. This was commissioned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to look at ways of driving up the UK’s skills base by 2020.  Darren will be ensuring that products and services are 'fit for purpose' in terms of the electronics sector and deliver the main features expressed in the SSA and the EIGT report Electronics 2015 – Making a Visible Difference. Darren will also feed back on a regular basis to the ELC.

Supporting the work of the Electronics Sector Strategy Group (eSSG)

The eSSG, operating as a pathfinder sector within the SEMTA engineering footprint, have developed an electronics-specific SSA and are now working on the delivery of their action plan and priorities. This work will feed into and complement the requirements of the ELC.

It is intended that the eSSG now develop thematic workstreams to focus on the headlines of the SSA, which complement the findings of the EIGT report. These will cover:

  • leadership and management;
  • supply chain management;
  • technical workforce development and up-skilling; and
  • resource planning and manpower recruitment.

For more information about the eSSG's membership and work, visit www.semta.org.uk.

Establishing a 14–19 engineering diploma

SEMTA is already leading on the development of the new 14–19 engineering diploma scheduled for launch in September 2008. There is a real opportunity for the electronics sector to influence the content of the diploma curriculum to ensure it meets our requirements. SEMTA will be hosting a series of consultation events to develop a diploma framework that the whole engineering community, including electronics, values. It is possible that some components of the Electronics in Schools Strategy item 6.5 could be adopted within the diploma framework in terms of specialist subjects.

Developing the Electronics in Schools Strategy (EISS)

A small sub-group of the workstream is currently exploring how the current EISS programme can be more widely supported, with a view to making electronics more widely available in all secondary schools. Some of the factors being explored include:

  • increased industry support and schools/education coverage; and
  • expansion of regional teacher training.

Rolling out the Virtual Learning Centre of Excellence (VLCE)

Releasing staff for training can have a major impact on employers' operations. At the same time, it can often be difficult for employees to access the training they want without travelling long distances. In recognition of these facts, the North of England Microelectronics Institute (NEMI) is currently piloting an e-learning solution in the North East of England: the Virtual Learning Centre of Excellence. The current pilot delivers a range of education and training events. The system being tested also allows lectures to be delivered in either live or recorded form.