Our progress in the West Midlands

The delivery of a Sector Skills Agreement for Construction in the West Midlands depends on the full participation of all stakeholders, employers, employer organisations, trades unions, education and training providers and all major planning and funding agencies.

Launched in 2006, the West Midlands Centre for Constructing Excellence (WMCCE) helps set the strategic direction on skills for construction in the region.

WMCCE operates through six subgroups:

• Skills Development

• Client Leadership

• Integrated Supply Chains

• Product and Process Innovation

• Transport and Logistics

• Regeneration and Infrastructure

During 2005, the Skills Development group led on the formulation of the regional Sector Skills Agreement, aligning regional activities to the national SSA priorities.

A highlight of recent work has been an employer focus group looking at management and leadership tools and training. This provided an opportunity for employers to give feedback on what would best suit their business needs.

The Group brings together a wide range of strategic partners – these include employers, West Midlands Development Agency, the regional Learning and Skills Council office, training providers, SummitSkills, Business Link and Jobcentre Plus.

The collaborative actions in the SSA are monitored against key targets and are under regular review to ensure they keep pace with an ever-changing construction industry and its ever-changing skills demands.

Download a snapshot of: The West Midlands 361kb PDF file.