Memorandum 171
Submission from Semta
SUMMARY
1. Semta would like to see government use
the Sector Skills Council (SSC) network more effectively when
engaging with the engineering sector. We are happy to work with
officials in any capacity which would enable government to address
the needs of the sector more appropriately. We can offer expertise
on all areas of the skills landscape, as well as facilitating
direct government contact with employers.
2. We would like to see consultations, legislation,
and other proposals scrutinised for their impact on engineering
BEFORE they reach the public domain, as we are continually having
to raise these issues at a late stage in the process. Semta would
be happy to contribute at an earlier stage of the consultation
process.
3. An engineering "Champion" in
government would be welcome-a named, high profile, authoritative
advocate of engineering to speak on behalf of the sector and work
across departments to raise its profile. This individual could
be supported by a group of civil servants who scrutinise activity
across departments to raise issues where it will impact negatively
on the sector.
SEMTA, THE
SECTOR SKILLS
COUNCIL FOR
SCIENCE, ENGINEERING
AND MANUFACTURING
TECHNOLOGIES
4. Industry owned and led, Semta aims to
increase the impact of skilled people throughout the science,
engineering and manufacturing technologies sectors.
5. We work with employers to determine their
current and future skills needs and to provide short and long
term skills solutions, whether that be training and skills development,
or campaigning with government and other organisations to change
things for the better. Through our labour market intelligence
and insights from employers across our sectors, we identify change
needed in education and skills policy and practice, and engage
with key industry partners and partners in the education and training
sector, to help increase productivity at all levels in the workforce.
6. The sectors we represent are: Aerospace;
Automotive; Bioscience; Electrical; Electronics; Maintenance;
Marine; Mathematics; Mechanical; Metals and Engineered Metal Products.
7. Semta is part of the Skills for Business
network of 25 employer-led Sector Skills Councils.
ENGINEERING ADVICE
AND GOVERNMENT
POLICY-MAKING
Representation on skills
8. We feel that government currently does
not effectively use the network of Sector Skills Councils to gather
information and opinion before making decisions. Through SSCs,
government can access expertise and experience on a range of skills-related
issues, and bring employers effectively into the policy-making
process. The network was created to be "the voice of its
employers, yet SSCs sometimes feel that we are the last to be
considered. Semta has processes in place which would enable government
to access employers directly, to present their proposals and gain
feedback.
9. Semta directly represents the views of
its employers at all levels of government. This is done through
a variety of routes, detailed as follows, together with Semta's
view on their efficacy (or otherwise).
Face-to-face meetings with ministers and officials
on particular issues and subjects
10. Semta is reasonably confident that it
is able to arrange meetings with appropriate ministers and officials,
both on its own behalf, and on behalf of its employers. We naturally
only approach government and officials for meetings where there
is a subject of substance for discussion. These meetings are sometimes
initiated by Semta, and sometimes by government.
11. Our experience of these meetings is
that ministers and officials are generally responsive to employer
concerns, and sympathetic to their needs. However, their knowledge
of engineering can be low, and understanding of some of the more
complex issues facing companies can be simplistic. Of course,
Semta (and our employers) are keen to address this, and ministers
and officials often show great enthusiasm for learning more about
the sector. We are not aware of any issues around the attitude
of ministers and officials to engineering-they appear interested
and engaged.
Formal responses to consultations
12. Semta submits responses to consultations
as part of its policy representation. These consultations are
usually compiled from direct employer input (where time permits).
The number and frequency of consultations coming from government
which are of relevance to the engineering sector means that it
can be problematic to gather meaningful responses. Semta is also
observing an increasing level of cynicism, and belief that the
formal consultation process is not a serious attempt to gain feedback
and establish the right direction, but rather a "final stage"
before implementation.
Regular meetings as part of projects and programmes
underdevelopment or activity underway
13. Semta meets with officials when working
of specific projects and funded programmes, as part of the process
of project management and delivery.
Indirect communication through others
14. This relies on the third party to accurately
communicate our views to the right people in government. This
can be problematic, and our experience suggests that, on occasion,
the "message" is not relayed in the right way to the
right person. For example, Semta is currently experiencing a great
deal of difficulty around qualifications in our sector, and their
incorporation into the new Qualifications and Credit Framework
in England. Our concerns are being filtered through third parties
(the regulatory bodies) to civil servants. We are not confident
that these third parties and their civil servant partners are
then reflecting our concerns upwards to the appropriate people.
This can leave ministers and senior officials in an embarrassing
position, as they are unaware of any problems until we are forced
to contact them directly. A specific government "Champion"
for engineering might enable the sector to have a more effective
voice in government.
Example of policy decision-making to illustrate concerns
15. The current apprenticeships proposals
are causing considerable concern for engineering employers, who
feel that many of the proposals are being introduced to support
and encourage non-traditional apprenticeship sectors. The proposals
suggest a single approach across the economy to address the needs
of non-traditional sectors (the creation of the National Apprenticeship
Service, the move of "ownership" of the apprenticeship
blueprint from SSCs to the NAS, etc). We expressed these concerns
on behalf of our employers early in the consultation process,
but received no reassurances. It was only a meeting with David
Lammy, which Semta attended with employers, which began to address
these issues, with confirmation that the proposals are designed
to support non-traditional sectors, but will not be allowed to
compromise existing good practice in traditional sectors. Even
with the minister's assertions, Semta is still unsure as to whether
officials, and those who will be implementing the proposals, are
aware of the minister's views, and we will continue to speak strongly
in this issue until the official documentation reflects our employers'
concerns.
Engineering across government
16. The engineering sector would benefit
from someone with authority in government to "speak up"
for its requirements across all government departments, who led
a group of civil servants tasked with protecting the interests
of the sector. Perhaps it would be appropriate to take equal opportunities
as a model-it is common practice to scrutinise proposals and ensure
any implications in this area are known and addressed. A similar
approach is needed for the engineering sector. If the government
accepts that the sector is key to the future prosperity of UK
plc, then officials working in areas such as taxation, company
law, inward investment strategy, etc must consider the impact
on engineering. This would require expertise within the civil
service, and the authority to influence developments.
Current levels of knowledge about engineering
17. As stated previously, while enthusiasm
to support the sector is not necessarily lacking, understanding
of the sector can be deficient. We have sometimes observed a lack
of clarity around the definitions of "manufacturing"
and "engineering", which leads to confusion and lack
of confidence. The needs of the two sectors are actually quite
different in many areas, as they are at very different stages
of their economic cycles, and are affected by different external
drivers. Civil servants need to improve their understanding of
these issues, and their appreciation of the complexity of the
economic landscape.
In the devolved administrations
Wales
The experience of Semta in Wales is reflected
in the comments made previously, but with the additional comment
that the newly-formed Manufacturing Forum is likely to be very
helpful in raising the profile of manufacturing (and engineering),
as well as improving understanding. Semta is looking forward to
playing its part in this welcome initiative.
Scotland
The experience of Semta in Scotland is reflected
in some of the comments made previously. Government in Scotland
is supportive of engineering, but could use the SSC network more
effectively in its decision-making and policy formation. However,
the Scottish government has made additional commitment to the
engineering sector in areas such as adult apprenticeships, which
suggest it has a strong understanding of the particular needs
of the sector.
September 2008
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