sector skills councils

There are 14 out of the 25 Sector Skills Councils (SSC) that have a footprint in the voluntary and community sector. These 14 SSC cover most of the specific skills areas that the sector is involved with from Asset Skills which applies to organisations such as Simon Community and Triangle Housing to Skills for Health which covers Action Mental Health and Arthritis Care.

There is not a specific sector skills council for the voluntary and community sector and so organisations should align themselves to the most appropriate SSCs. Many organisations need to engage with a number of SSC as their work overlaps with several “sectors”. For example a community group may need to engage with Lifelong Learning UK, Skills for Justice and Skills for Care and Development.

Some of the Voluntary and Community Sector is not covered by any SSC (estimated at 30%) this includes infrastructure bodies and advocacy organisations. Part of the Workforce Hub’s role is to represent these organisations.

It is important to engage with the SSC in order that the sector is represented and the needs of the sector are met. The key benefits of this engagement will be access to advice on skills, training and NOS and the ability to influence training providers.

The Sector Skills Councils with a footprint in the voluntary and community sector are listed below and you can find out more about them and contact details by clicking on them.