Minister opens Skills Summit

Skills for Justice can play a key role in helping to ensure that all of the organisations working in the Justice sector strengthen their individual and collective capability.

This was the message from Rt Hon. David Hanson MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Justice in his video address at last month's Skills Summit, which took place at Mere Golf and Country Club, Cheshire.

Skills Summit 2008, supported by the Ministry of Justice, was the fourth annual conference to be held by Skills for Justice, the Sector Skills Council for the Justice sector.

David Hanson's address opened the conference. He emphasised two key priorities that Skills for Justice must focus on; keeping employers at the heart of everything it does and making sure that the range of standards and qualifications available is simple, streamlined and responsive to employers' needs.

Rt Hon. David Lammy MP, Minister for Skills, also gave a pre-recorded address at the conference. In his address, he spoke of the value of Train to Gain and the importance of offender learning.

Other speakers included Andrew Cross from HM Prison Service Workforce Modernisation and Steve Corkerton, Director for the ACPO National Workforce Modernisation Programme.

Workshops at the event gave delegates from across the Justice sector the opportunity to take part in interactive presentations and discussions. Topics included 'Developing interagency learning and development solutions'; 'Using Labour Market Information in workforce planning' and 'Using Apprenticeship frameworks in workforce development'.

Alan Woods OBE, Chief Executive, Skills for Justice said, "Skills Summit is an important event, as it enables people from all parts of the sector to get together and discuss the issues affecting the sector and to share best practice."