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About Improve
Improve strategy 2007/08
Our Industry
The Skills Pledge
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The Improve Board
The Improve Executive Team
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Sector Skills Development Agency & Sector Skills Councils
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Sector Skills Development Agency & Sector Skills Councils


Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are independent, UK wide organisations that have been charged to lead the skills and productivity drive in industry or business sectors recognised by employers. They bring together employers, trade unions and professional bodies working with government to develop the skills that UK business needs.

The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) has been established to underpin the SSC network and promote effective working between sectors.

Improve is the sector skills council for the food and drink industry. In our drive to promote skills, Improve will be working with a range of related other licensed SSCs to ensure that its strategy integrates with other SSCs to cover all its employers and their supply chains.

Firstly, Improve will work with Skillsmart , the SSC covering retailing, primarily to work together in the growing interface between food processing and retail, to ensure the most appropriate skills are in place to meet customer needs and industry food handling standards.

Lantra - the SSC for environment and land-based industries will work in partnership with Improve to address appropriate environmental and primary food production skill issues, and investigate mutual objectives and implications across the UK skills agenda.

Additionally, Improve will work with People 1st , who are responsible for hotels, restaurants and all types of catering to work in areas of overlapping concern in catering supply and food processing.

Skills for Logistics and Improve will work together on distribution, warehousing and other logistics related skills functions of mutual interest and benefit to both SSCs employers.

Finally, Improve will work with SEMTA , the Manufacturing & Science SSC, particularly on engineering, technical and process related applications and other skills areas. SEMTA and Improve will be sharing best practice in engineering and manufacturing on an on-going basis.

For more information on the SSC network or SSDA, visit www.ssda.org.uk