Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 92
92
Acknowledged
A complicating factor in the work of the Taskforce is the devolved nature of skills...
Conclusion
A complicating factor in the work of the Taskforce is the devolved nature of skills policy in parts of the UK, including in Scotland. Kevin Craven of ADS Group said “the devolved nature of the work involved means that co-ordination and collaboration, working together on these things, is desperately important.”155 The National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh recognises this and states that the Taskforce “will work jointly with the Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure the shipbuilders and the supply chain in all parts of the UK can access the skills they need.”156 The Secretary of State told us that “the Scottish Government and the British Government can work hand in hand on…improving STEM skills, science skills and engineering skills to support shipbuilding. Scottish shipbuilders are represented on the Skills Taskforce, and it is chaired by Captain Dr Paul Little, the Principal and Chief Executive of City of Glasgow College.157 Engagement with the Scottish Government appears to have already begun: Minister Ivan McKee MSP welcomed the fact that the Scottish Government had already had opportunities to engage with the Taskforce.158 However, the Taskforce’s terms of reference do not include a specific objective to encourage coordination of skills policies across UK jurisdictions.159
Government Response Summary
The UKSST, NSO and DfE welcome this signal from the Committee to work collaboratively to meet the skills needs of the sector through the existing education system. The UKSST recognises skills is a devolved issue and is committed to ensuring its recommendations work for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
35 & 36: The UKSST, NSO and DfE welcome this signal from the Committee to work collaboratively to meet the skills needs of the sector through the existing education system. The UKSST recognises skills is a devolved issue and is committed to ensuring its recommendations work for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. As noted above, that approach is reflected in its membership and the UKSST has worked closely with the Devolved Administrations from its inception to take account of regional differences in the needs and provision of skills for shipbuilding. In terms of setting out a clear signal against which to plan the skills requirements for the defence sector in Scotland, the NSO has committed to providing transparency on future orders and a stable baseline of work through the 30 Year Cross-Government Shipbuilding Pipeline. This pipeline provides a clear demand signal to industry about the needs of the defence shipbuilding sector going forward.