Skills Funding Agency
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| Skills Funding Agency | |
|---|---|
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| Formation | April 2010 |
| Legal status | Corporation Sole |
| Purpose/focus | Further education in England |
| Location | Cheylesmore House, Cheylesmore, Coventry, England |
| Region served | England |
| Chief Executive | Geoff Russell |
| Parent organization | BIS |
| Website | Skills Funding Agency |
The Skills Funding Agency is one of two successor organisations that emerged from the closure of the Learning and Skills Council (England's largest Non-departmental public body or quango). The restructuring of the English skills system was announced by Gordon Brown shortly after he took office in 2007.
The office of the Chief Executive of Skills Funding was established in law by the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. The office is a corporation sole which works alongside the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) and Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). Employees appointed by the Chief Executive of Skills Funding are Crown Civil Servants and collectively referred to as the Skills Funding Agency. The Chief Executive is appointed by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. The YPLA is a non departmental public body, with a non-executive Board, sponsored by the Department for Education.
The Skills Funding Agency funds and regulates adult Further Education (FE) and skills training in England. It forms part of a network of organisations in the country who commission, manage and promote training for adults.
The Agency's mission is to ensure that people and businesses can access the skills training they need to succeed in playing their part in society and in growing England’s economy. This is done in the context of policy set by government and informed by the needs of businesses, communities and regions, and sector and industry bodies.
The Skills Funding Agency employs around 1,200 staff at its head office in Coventry and in offices around England. The agency houses a number of specialist services including the National Apprenticeship Service, the Careers Advisory Service, the Data Service, the Learning Records Service and the secretariat to the information authority.
In January 2012, Chief Executive Geoff Russell announced his resignation.[1]
[edit] See also
- Learning and Skills Council
- National Employer Service
- Higher Education Funding Council for England
- Lifelong learning
- Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
- Vocational education
