Government Fails to Support Wood Industry Skills through ProSkills

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has today announced the results of the bids to the Employer Investment Fund. Today’s announcement has confirmed that the ProSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the Process and Manufacturing Sector, of which the Wood industry is part, was unsuccessful and will receive none of the available funding.

Terry Watts – CEO, Proskills said “We are obviously very disappointed with the results announced today, but we are confident we will continue to provide excellent value added services for employers, even with fewer resources. We will be working hard to pursue support for the plans employers have developed, through other funding routes”

Proskills will still receive funding from the UKCES until March 2012, and will be submitting further bids to a variety of sources, including the UKCES, in the near future.

The BWF and the WITForum work closely with ProSkills and the rest of the timber industry in the development of qualifications for the sector.

Dave Campbell, the BWF Marketing and Training Manager said "I'm furious that UKCES have failed to support Proskills and in turn our members, in what has been a critical journey to a fully skilled and qualified wood industry. It is imperative that the work we are doing on qualifications does not stagnate and we will be pushing ProSkills and the government to ensure that manufacturing does not fall off the agenda again. The government continues to spout rhetoric about how a manufacturing revival is a key factor to economic success in the UK, yet they are not willing to provide the essential support needed."

The wood industries only came under the sector Skills Council in December 2009 and is on the verge of launching new qualifications that will change the face of training in the timber and wood industries, particularly where no previous qualifications have existed. Other key initiatives include career promotion and mapping, and funding to directly support employers to train in carbon related skills.

Ann Moult, new Chair of Proskills and HR Director of Johnson Tiles commented “Despite this setback, we have to look forward and continue to find the best ways for Proskills to support employers in the sector. We will be working with employers and other bodies throughout December to ensure we maintain the required focus on skills and training in our industries.”

Terry Watts continued “The Proskills Academy is growing in strength, and now has a firmly established Accredited Training Provider network, with products, services and a Course Finder available through its website.   Proskills will also continue to manage and develop the Prospect4u careers website, and the UK’s most successful Schools into Industry Programmes, which are having great success now that they are expanding into new industries.”