Mark Fisher, business strategy director of Jobcentre Plus, will succeed Christopher Duff as the new chief executive of the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), it was announced today.
Fisher will join the SSDA in October, and will have overall responsibility for the strategic direction of the SSDA. He was previously HR director of the Department of Social Security.
The SSDA is the body that was set up by the government in 2002 to address skills deficiencies through the creation of a network of employer-led Sector Skills Councils (SSCs).
It is responsible for funding and supporting the network, which will comprise some 25 SSCs by 2006.
Skills minister Phil Hope said the SSDA was a key organisation in the delivery of the government’s skills strategy.
“The UK-wide network of Sector Skills Councils which the Sector Skills Development Agency has put in place is at the heart of our reforms, and will enable employers to get the skilled staff they need for business success,” he said. “Sector Skills Councils put employers centre stage in the drive to close skills gaps in every sector.”
