The government plans to invest £2.5 million over the next three years in third sector skills.

The Office of the Third Sector and the Department of Universities and Skills are set to launch a new third sector skills body at the beginning of the next financial year.

The independent body aims to identify and address skills gaps and shortages in the sector, and ensure that skills councils are more responsive to the needs of charities and social enterprises.

It will pull together the work of the sector skills council to open up learning opportunities for both paid and voluntary third sector staff. Additionally, it has been designed to fit in with the National Occupational Standards, the Design Apprenticeship Frameworks and Sector Qualification Standards.

It will be directed by a representative group of employees within the third sector, and will be incubated by the Skills for Justice until it becomes established.

Lord Young, Minister for Skills and Apprenticeships, said: “The third sector skills body will be a real step to how charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups get the skills they need. As well as developing programmes to plug the immediate skills gap, it will link the third sector to the complete national skills framework and influence the development of skills support services for the benefits of the sector.”

Ben Honey, spokesman for the Cabinet office, pointed out that this sector has a lot of highly complex projects so employees “need the right skills to maximise their potential. [The sector skills body] will identify gaps and skills shortages”.

Kevin Brennan, Minister for the Third Sector, added that establishing this new body will put the sector’s needs on the same level as other sectors. “Charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises deal with some of the most challenging social and environmental issues. Whether they are multi-million pound global operations or small community groups, having employees and volunteers with the right skills to get the job done is essential.

“The skills body is one more part of the government’s comprehensive strategy to help the third sector thrive, root out injustice and build a fairer society,” he said

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