The Information and Communication Technology sector has been recommended for new Sector Skill Council (SSC) development.

Minister for Adult Skills John Healey told an audience of ICT delegates at the E-Skills summit hosted by Greenwich University that E-skills was one of only four sectors the Department for Education and Skills was recommending to the new Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) as ready to proceed to the next stage of SSC development. The former NTO is being supported by £400,000 from the Department to support essential work in this interim period.

Mr Healey also announced the formal transfer of responsibility for the new UK-wide network – designed to boost skills, training and productivity across sectors – from the Department to the business-led Agency, chaired by Margaret Salmon.

John Healey said: "Information and communication technologies are the defining technologies of our generation. More than 21 million people – three quarters of the nation’s workforce – use computers at work and around a million of these are ICT professionals. By 2010 nine out of ten jobs will need IT skills. Employer demand for a workforce with top-notch skills will continue and we have to make sure that education and training we supply produces people with relevant, high quality skills and qualifications to meet this demand.

"The decision now rests with the Agency’s board members but I am confident that E-Skills has the credibility and comprehensive employer support to be an early Sector Skill Council."