The new Academy is a wholly owned subsidiary company of Cogent and a service level agreement has been established.

A non-executive board of trustees, made up of employer representatives from all sectors of the industry, will be led by a board-appointed chairperson. The board will have a broad range of other partners including representatives from Cogent, trade unions, and academic and vocational providers.

The Academy will be a lean organisation with minimal staffing to fit its purpose. Its leadership team will be appointed by January 2008 and its other permanent staff by February 2008.

Download:
Proposed management structure chart.

The Academy will be based on a hub and spoke model as the most effective way of ensuring national impact and regional consistency.

The hub will consist of the Chief Executive, three sector professionals with responsibility for skills solutions, training provider network development, and business development, and an office and finance manager, financial controller and administration apprentice.

The primary responsibilities of the hub will be to provide direction and oversight for the Academy, maximise employer engagement, develop new products and services to meet employer need, manage the development of the quality-assured national delivery network, and manage relationships with key national stakeholders.

Seven regional spokes will be established and each will be staffed by an academy-employed Regional Skills Manager.