Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and other recognised Standard Setting Bodies (SSBs) such as the Management Standards Centre (MSC) are now responsible for ensuring that the skills needs of employers in the sectors they represent are clearly defined.

The UKCES (formerly the Sector Skills Development Agency) and the UK Regulatory Authorities, QCA, ACCAC, CCEA and SQA, are working with these organisations and other strategic partners to reform and rationalise vocational qualifications, in order to ensure they support workforce development and the needs of individual learners.

Sector Qualifications Strategies (SQS) have been developed by a number of SSCs and SSBs to assist in the reformation and rationalisation of vocational qualifications. The Management Standards Centre’s SQS can be downloaded from the right hand side of this page, alongside a number of other documents produced in the lead-up to the final SQS. In addition, a 2 page summary of the visions and principles can also be downloaded from this page.

The SQS sets out MSC’s vision or ‘blueprint’ for the design, development and implementation of qualifications and/or other learning provision in the management and leadership ‘sector’. It is underpinned by robust evidence of sector needs and should provide a sound basis for planned, strategic and intensive activity by all stakeholders, to reform and rationalise the provision of management qualifications.

The document has been produced by the Management Standards Centre on behalf of, and after extensive consultation with, the Sector. It is a high level strategy intended to inform the development of Management and Leadership qualifications throughout the United Kingdom.

For further information about the strategy and how you can become involved please contact Dr Kion Ahadi, the head of the Management Standards Centre (kion.ahadi@managers.org.uk).