Evaluation of the trailblazer phase of the Sector Skills Council network

In relation to governance,Trailblazers use a range of mechanisms, including:• Boards, for strategy and corporate governance; • Councils, to enable a larger and more diverse number of contributors to strategy; • Sub-sector/industry groups, to deepen and strengthen industry coverage; • Area/regional boards, to represent geographical concentrations and the devolved administrations; • Board of patrons, to engage industry figureheads.Industry characteristics are the main driver behind the structure of Trailblazers, and reflect the extent to which Trailblazers are attempting to unite a diversity of sector interests.Gains from merger are most clearly seen where the merged sectors are run as a single business, even though there may be groups of sub-sector interests feeding into the overall decision making body.There is no single best practice model, but some key design principles can be identified:Coherency in sector coverage -The rationale for grouping sectors under the SSC banner is crucial to the achievement of coherence, employer identity and shared interests.Key considerations included: linkages through customer-supplier relationships; the existence of common major firms across the sectors; a similar skills base and skills issues; and common industry themes, sometimes reflecting restructuring in the sectors.Using SIC codes alone to identify related sectors can be inadequate.Extending the footprint can come with time, using proven success and employer benefits as the magnet for attracting additional sectors or sub-sectors.Extended scope -The refocusing of the Trailblazers on competitiveness issues facing the sectors, rather than training in isolation, was an important factor in keeping employers engaged (although not the only one).Sub-sector divisions -To reflect different industry groupings and sub-sector characteristics, thereby retaining the identity of sub-sectors and regions within the overall framework.This approach is necessary to allow individual groupings of employers to feel able to shape the outcomes and strategy to suit their particular needs.Employer leadership and direction -Influential employers, firms that reflect the diversity of the sectors within the footprint, trade associations and trade unions are represented on Trailblazer Boards.For most, it was crucially important to recruit the most senior employer members, to give credibility and raise the profile of the skills agenda as a business crucial issue.However, this required securing significant time inputs from employers, especially for those Trailblazer organisations in the formative stages of establishment.Specialisation within staff teams -The skills and expertise within the teams is a key consideration, with a focus on facilitation, communication and networking skills, credibility with employers, and expertise in particular business professions, regions and sub-sectors.In general,Trailblazer status has allowed for a much greater degree of specialisation of staff roles, and this has contributed to the step-change that Trailblazers are meant to deliver over and above the NTOs.High calibre Executive leadership -Having high calibre staff, especially senior management staff, has been key to employer involvement.UK-wide reach -Most Trailblazers have gone down the route of recruiting geographically based teams.Most people agree that regional coverage is most feasible where there is an alignment between Trailblazer objectives, industry clusters, and the priorities identified in the plans of the regional bodies and devolved administrations.

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