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Skills body takes shape
07/11/2007
First details of Scotland's new skills body - created by merging Careers Scotland, learndirect scotland and most of the skills and training functions of the enterprise networks - were announced today.
Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop told the Scottish Parliament's Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee that she had established an interim board and that Billy Allan, currently chairman of the University for Industry, will continue in that role as interim chairman of the new skills body.
In addition, Donald Henderson - formerly Head of Teachers Division within the Scottish Government's Schools Directorate - has been appointed as interim chief executive to manage the transition programme.
Ms Hyslop said:
"Skills for Scotland, our recently-published skills strategy, clearly established the importance we attach to making sure Scotland's people have the skills our country needs for success.
"That's why we're moving forward with the creation of our new skills body, which I expect to be operational by April next year. In the meantime, the shell of the body should be formed by December 31 and the appointments to the interim board I have announced today are a key part of this process.
"I am pleased to announce the appointments of additional board members Willie Roe, Barbara Duffner, Janet Lowe and I look forward to working with all of them to ensure Scotland is well-equipped for a prosperous economic future."
The new skills body will use Scottish UfI Trust Ltd (the holding company for Scottish University for Industry) as the vehicle for its formation.
Billy Allan has agreed to continue as chairman of Scottish University for Industry, taking on the additional responsibilities involved in establishing the new body.
Mr Allan is the Executive Chairman for ASCO, a provider of supply chain management services and solutions to the international oil and gas sector and other related industries.
Prior to this he was the Managing Director of Alfred McAlpine Business Services having been part of the buy-out of E J Stiell Ltd, a facilities management company acquired by Alfred McAlpine. He was a board member of SUfI from November 2001 and became Chairman in November 2004. He sits on the Advisory Board of Strathclyde University's Graduate Business School.
Donald Henderson is a career civil servant, who joined the then Scottish Office in 1981. Other than three secondments to other government departments (Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1984-85, Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1992-93 and the Cabinet Office 1999-2002), he has spent his career in Scotland, working in a variety of subject areas including overseas trade, international sea fisheries, European structural funds and competition policy.
His most recent posting was as Head of Teachers Division where he was responsible for implementation of the 2001 national agreement A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century and for class size policy.
The appointment of additional board members will run until June 30, 2008 and attract a remuneration of £2,330 per annum (in line with the remuneration of the current SUfI Board).
Ministerial public appointments are made after consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointee's political activity (if any) to be made public. No political activity has been declared.
Willie Roe is chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise. He is also director of Rocket Science UK, providing consulting services and solutions in the fields of economic development, lifelong learning and multimedia technology. He is currently chairman of the Centre for Confidence and Wellbeing Ltd and in January 2007 was appointed by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions as chairman of the board of the Disability and Carers Service.
Barbara Duffner is a Scottish Enterprise board member. She is also a non-executive board member of the Student Loan Company, a member of the Judicial Appointments Board Scotland and sits on the Fitness to Practice Panel of the General Dental Council. She is a public interest member of the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland, a lay member to the Court of the University of Glasgow and an employment tribunal member. She was a member of the Welfare to Work taskforce and chaired the review of the Careers Service in Scotland, which led to the creation of Careers Scotland.
Janet Lowe is a member of the Funding Council. She chairs the council's skills committee and her appointment runs until October 2009. A former principal of Dunfermline's Lauder College, she is also a member of the Court of the University of Dundee. During her 30-year career in further and higher education, she held posts at the University of Hull, Napier University and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art. She has been a member of the Garrick Committee on higher education, the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum, the Court of Heriot-Watt University, the board of the Association of Scotland's Colleges, the board of the Interactive University and the boards of the Scottish Further Education Unit and Scottish Enterprise. She was also a member of the independent Local Government Finance Review Committee which reported to Scottish Ministers in 2006.