The NSA Process Industries is being set up by employers working closely with Cogent – the Sector Skills Council for Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Nuclear, Oil and Gas, Petroleum and Polymers.

The Academy will lead employers in creating a world-class workforce by:

• Deploying Standards – Establishing the ‘Gold Standard’ as a benchmark for skills and competence
• Developing Training Provision – Improving capacity and capability, and assuring quality to achieve the Gold Standard
• Directing Funding – Obtaining central and regional funding for skills development, and influencing and simplifying the funding regime
• Supporting Employers – Improving access to good practice in skills development.

A small centre will provide leadership and accreditation and a network of public and private training centres around the UK will deliver the training.

The Academy will perform a number of key functions:

• Deliverer – Providing new learning materials and a quality-assured national training network
• Enabler – Enabling employers and employees to access high-quality training provision geared to the needs of the sector
• Translator – Translating the needs of individual employers into a local, regional and national picture that will drive provision and direct funding to support those needs
• Facilitator – Facilitating the flow of information between employers and key players at a regional and national level
• Knowledge Bank – Capturing, developing and sharing the excellent knowledge and materials required to drive forward the process industries’ skills agenda
• Advocate – Being a local, regional and national voice for the opportunities that exist for employees and potential employees.

The Government is funding the business development stage, and longer term the Academy will be expected to be self-funding.

The NSA Process Industries is asking individual employers to each provide up to £20,000 funding in the first three years – and it has already raised over £400,000. Our target is in excess of £1 million.

The Government has said that employer sponsorship will fund about 50% of the capital costs (buildings and equipment) of an NSA with about 35% coming from the Government and the remainder from the other sources, such as European funding.