SummitSkills, the Sector Skills Council for building services engineering, says it is refocusing its work on the areas that give employers and the sector the most direct value.
National Occupational Standards, apprenticeships and qualifications development will be the priority areas on which SummitSkills has based its revised strategy and remit.

It has secured funding from its five stakeholder trade associations - B&ES (Building & Engineering Services Association), Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA), SELECT (the Electrical Contractors Association of Scotland) and the Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers' Federation (SNIPEF) - to underpin its skills development activities.

Recently appointed general manager, Nigel Hollett, will oversee SummitSkills' refocused priorities.

Following his appointment Mr Hollett said: 'I'm excited to be taking SummitSkills forward into its new phase. With the economy on the upturn and with recent positive policy announcement on construction and low carbon incentives, now more than ever, we will strive to make sure that the qualifications, apprenticeships and standards for the sector reflect what businesses on the ground need them to be.'

Chairman of SummitSkills, Ian Livsey, said: 'Nigel's appointment and the commitment and support from our stakeholder trade associations allows us to concentrate our efforts on companies, large and small, who are training the next generation of tradespeople and engineers.'