Jargon buster - Sector skills councils

What does it mean? There are 25 sector skills councils, which cover approximately 85 per cent of the UK workforce. SkillsActive, Lifelong Learning UK and Skills for Care and Development are the key ones for the children and young people's workforce. SkillsActive represents those who work in play and also covers the sport and fitness sectors. Lifelong Learning UK recently took on responsibility for Connexions and careers advisers.

Skills for Care and Development is an alliance of six organisations: Care Council for Wales; Children's Workforce Development Council; General Social Care Council; Northern Ireland Social Care Council; Scottish Social Services Council; and Skills for Care. The work of Skills for Care and Development is based on six strategic objectives. These include delivering "fit-for-purpose" national occupational standards for the workforce, and delivering and generating sector allegiance to an appropriate qualification framework. Skills for Care and Development is also tasked with improving the recruitment and retention of appropriately skilled staff to the sectors it covers.