Asset Skills works on developing new skills academy

By Richard Beamish, Chief Executive, Asset Skills

Last year Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced plans to set up a National Skills Academy for the environmental industries.

Asset Skills has been tasked with investigating the possibility of Facilities Management being a major part of this programme.

The skills required to work in environmental industries are rapidly changing. In many areas there is new technology and "sustainability" is the current watchword. Changing work practices to manage resources effectively has never been so important.

We have been working with the Energy & Utilities Sector Skills Council (EU Skills) to identify the demand for a skills academy among employers.

We believe it would help pull together existing learning and make it accessible to the FM industry as a whole.

Individual companies will be able to get their training courses and qualifications recognised nationally and will benefit from added Government investment.

We already have a commitment from one major facilities firm and significant interest from others – so watch this space.

On a different note, Asset Skills would like to add its support to the Business Services Association (BSA) and the Cleaning and Support Services Association (CSSA) in rejecting the conference vote by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to end outsourcing of NHS cleaning to the private sector.

What is needed for effective infection control measures in hospitals are skilled cleaners and higher investment. There is no evidence to prove outsourcing implies lower standards.