Director of Skills Alignment
Take a look at the role…
Dear Applicant,
Our sincere thanks to you for taking the time to show interest in the new role of Director, Skills Alignment. We hope that you will find that this Position Profile pack provides sufficient detail to inform your decision to apply.
Reporting directly to us, as Chief Executives of SDS and SFC, the role will lead the collaborative work to align the skills planning, commissioning and evaluation undertaken by our agencies. Manifest in a five-step national skills planning and provision model for Scotland, we have a shared commitment to ensure that our joint approach to future planning and investment in skills will ensure that Scotland’s people and businesses are equipped with the right skills to succeed in the economy, now and in the future.
At a critical time for the Scottish Economy, this role provides a unique opportunity to influence a whole systems transformation across industry, employers and the education and skills system; our shared ambition is to collaboratively align our plans in ways which develop the future skills needed to increasingly enable a highly productive workforce for Scotland. This is a truly exciting time to join our team and through your skills investment advice and recommendations to our individual boards, and ultimately the Strategic Board, you will have significant influence over the funding of skills provision across Scotland. You will be part of a highly talented, motivated and engaged team committed to contributing to the development of the economy, making a real difference to the people and businesses of Scotland.
With strengths in strategic thinking, planning and evaluation, we are looking for a collaborative leader, fluent in change and managing complex projects with a proven ability to work across organisational boundaries. You will understand the supply of and demand for learning and skills and have highly-tuned influencing and negotiating skills.
If you have the skills, energy and passion to lead the way in a complex environment, then we look forward to hearing from you.
Karen Watt
Chief Executive
Scottish Funding Council
Damien Yeates
Chief Executive
Skills Development Scotland
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is Scotland’s national skills body and contributes to Scotland’s sustainable economic growth by supporting people and businesses to develop and apply their skills. They work with a range of partners to provide services that deliver the very best outcomes for Scotland’s people, businesses and the economy. www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) invests around £1.8 billion of public money to help make Scotland the best place in the world to educate, to research and to innovate. Their funding enables Scotland’s colleges and universities to provide life-changing opportunities for over half a million people. www.sfc.ac.uk
- Achieving the Government’s ambition as set out in Scotland’s Economic Strategy and National Performance Framework
- Ensuring Scotland’s economic and skills interventions are shaped by users’ needs and the opportunities users can create as a result of these interventions
- Ensuring that delivery continuously reflects best practice
The agencies involved in the review were:
- Scottish Enterprise (SE), including Scottish Development International
- Highland and Island Enterprise (HIE)
- Skills Development Scotland (SDS)
- Scottish Funding Council (SFC)
The review concluded that SFC and SDS, would continue to share leadership for the planning and commissioning of skills interventions delivered through higher and further education, and through training providers, across Scotland. Accountable to Scottish Government, SFC and SDS have collective responsibility for aligning their relevant activities to improve outcome delivery, driven by the interests of learners and employers and taking account of the capacity of providers.
As an outcome of Phase 2 of the review, an Enterprise & Skills Strategic Board was established to support the co-ordination of shared priorities across all four agencies.
The newly created role of Director of Skills Alignment will play a critical part in ensuring the Scottish Government delivers on its vision for SFC and SDS to be fully aligned in delivering the learning and skills necessary for sustainable and inclusive growth. The alignment of planning and investment between two organisations will ensure that Scotland’s people and businesses are equipped with the right skills to succeed in the economy, both now and in the future.
It is anticipated that through greater alignment:
- Learners will be able to access provision which better enables them to develop the skills required to contribute to a highly productive workforce and improved personal earnings potential
- Employers see reductions in skills gaps and improvements in the skills of their workforce which builds increased competitiveness through improved productivity
- The capacity of colleges, universities and other training providers will be developed and deployed to remove any duplication and overlap
- The rate of return from investment in skills to the Scottish economy, employers and individual learners will be increased
A key focus will be aligning the supply and demand for learning and skills to match the local, regional and national economic need, whilst securing public value. The core competencies of political acuity, relationship management, strategic thinking, planning and evaluation will all be critical.
The recruitment for this position is being managed by our advising consultants, Livingston James.
Interested candidates should provide a tailored CV and covering letter to Douglas Adam at [email protected]
All third party applications, enquiries and direct approaches to either SDS or SFC will be referred to Livingston James.
Recruitment Timetable…
Closing date for applications: Monday 11th March
Shortlist meeting (between Livingston James, SDS & SFC): Week commencing 8th April
Final Panel Assessment: Weeks commencing 22nd and 29th April
