Sector Needs Analysis
The Sector Needs Analysis (SNA) is the formal name for stage one of the Sector Skills Agreement, which looks at what skills we have now and need in the future. As well as looking at skills requirements, it also considers economical and political angles in relation to the building services engineering sector.
Some of the research that needs to be done as part of the SNA may seem irrelevant to some employers and the day-to-day running of their business. However, all of the headings in the SNA have been devised as we need to consider these issues, which will all impact on the future sector.
Globalisation
Many sectors of the UK economy are affected by competition from other areas of the world. In some sense that is not the case in the building services engineering sector. However there does remain a possibility that new firms may seek to enter the UK market, particularly in light of the 2012 Olympics.
Technological Change
Technological change is now very rapid. The purpose of the investigation here is to determine whether new products are being specified in tender documentation for the sector. Such change in technologies might create gaps in the current workforce, where special skills are needed to install and maintain new equipment.
Consumer Demand
Although consumer demand may appear to be more specific to manufacturing and front line service sectors than building services engineering, there is still a need to investigate if the sector is experiencing changes in customer demand. If this is the case, we need to look at how we are responding to it.
Government Policy
Government policy affects employers in areas such as education and training, Building Regulations, health and safety and employment law. This means SummitSkills needs to assess the general impact on the sector by Government.
