Simpler, Shared System for Describing Skills Needs Launched

The UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC), a new national framework, is a significant step forward in how we think about and discuss skills in the UK

A new comprehensive way of identifying and describing skills needs will help employers, training providers, job seekers, and people looking to upskill to get the best from the system.

The national framework, called the UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC), was officially launched at a special event at the Shard on 30 April.

The innovative new tool will make it much easier to match people to job opportunities and target skills investment where it matters most.

It offers the most detailed, data driven picture yet of the UK labour market, and marks a significant step forward in how we think about and discuss skills in the UK.

Created by the University of Warwick’s Institute for Employment Research (IER) and the University of Sheffield, in partnership with Omnifolio on behalf of Skills England, the SSC is a standardised set of categories that identify the skills, knowledge and tasks required across UK occupations.

Providing linkage between skills, occupations and knowledge, the SSC allows users, including employers, training providers and job seekers, to confidently identify needs and plan provision using a simple, common language.

Phil Smith, Chair of Skills England, said:

Peter Elias CBE, Professor of Employment Research, the University of Warwick’s Institute for Employment Research, said:

Skills England hopes the SSC will be widely used and has made it freely available (through an Open Government Licence). Everyone can access it using the UK Skills Explorer Digital tool where all the data and details are available for download.

A report explaining how the SCC has been developed, its uses, and proposals for how it could be maintained, has also been published by Skills England.

Employers will find the SCC really useful for assessing current workforce capabilities, identifying skills gaps and planning more effective skills-based recruitment.

Mayoral Combined Authorities, wider local authority skills planners, and national organisations involved in labour market analysis can use the SSC to understand local skills needs, forecast future demand, and guide training providers on curriculum priorities and development.

It will also in time be useful to individual job seekers and careers advisers to identify transferable skills and what new skills need to be learned for a career change.

The SCC’s publication is an important step towards the UK’s ambition of creating a skills system that will be much easier to understand and engage with.

Dr Michael Englard, CEO of Skills Builder Partnership, said:

Professor Andy Dickerson, University of Sheffield, said:

Alex Hall-Chen, Principal Policy Advisor for Sustainability, Skills, and Employment, Institute of Director, said:

John Yarham, CEO, The Careers & Enterprise Company, said: