South West Regional Skills Enterprise and Employment Analysis 2007/2008

Final Report

4.7 Skills for Sustainability

4.7.5 Skills for Sustainable Communities

Sustainable communities are ones which balance economic, social and environmental considerations. They are communities which are thriving, socially cohesive, well-planned and designed with excellent local services and a good environment.

The Sustainable Communities Plan, published by the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), together with the Egan Review(37), set out a vision for creating more sustainable communities across the UK.

The Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC)(38) points to the fact that there are insufficient numbers entering key built environment professions nationally to meet current and future needs, and that those charged with creating sustainable communities and promoting community regeneration need to ensure that their skills are developed to keep up with rapidly changing demands(39).

It identifies core occupations essential to sustainable communities, including: implementers and decision-makers; built-environment occupations; environmental occupations; social occupations; community occupations; cross-cutting occupations such as regeneration officers and managers; economic development workers; neighbourhood renewal practitioners.

Associated Occupations include police officers, health, welfare and education workers and local businesses which provide a wide range of services that are fundamental to creating and maintaining sustainable communities

The ASC has categorised the wider range of generic skills, behaviour and knowledge that support such approaches: inclusive visioning, project management; leadership in sustainable communities; brokerage/brokering; stakeholder management; team/partnership working; financial management and appraisal; analysis and evaluation; communication; conflict resolution.

Creating:Excellence is the South West Centre for Sustainable Communities and aims to build the skills and knowledge of those working in sustainable development, regeneration and renewal in the region. It works to support delivery of the range of generic skills highlighted above.

The Way Ahead(40) advisory group was set up to advise on the challenges to the growth of sustainable communities in the region. It concluded that the region needed more people with the understanding and technical skills to plan, deliver and manage in the most sustainable way.

(37) The "Egan Review of Skills" was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister on 8 April 2003. Its primary focus is to consider the skills that built environment professionals need to help deliver the vision and aims set out in the Sustainable Communities Plan: Building for the Future.
(38) As part of the recomemndations of the Review, the Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC) was set up in April 2005 by the Department for Communities and Local Government and is a key part of the Government's drive to create local communities fit for the 21st century
(39) Skills for the eFuture: Making Better Places in Europe, European Skills Symposium, 2006
(40) The Way Ahead, Delivering Sustainable Communities in the South West, South West RDA, 2004