SummitSkills appoint first development director

SummitSkills, the sector skills council in development for the electrotechnical, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration and plumbing industries has announced its first executive director appointment.

Lindsay Gillespie will take up the post of development director on 1st May 2003, and comes to SummitSkills from Engineering Services Training Trust Ltd (ESTTL), where he held the post of chief executive for five years. Previous to this he worked with the Construction Industry Training Board and more recently the Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association (HVCA).

Working within ESTTL and HVCA, Lindsay has been responsible for the production and implementation of the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration industry's workforce development plan as well as the development of the industry's National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications.

As development director, his role will include ensuring there is a full suite of relevant standards, NVQs and training frameworks for the whole sector. Lindsay will also take responsibility for developing services to employers and future commercial products. He will be a key member of the Senior Management Team and during the set-up of SummitSkills will play a major role in defining its future direction, values and operating principles.

On his appointment, Lindsay commented: "I see tremendous potential for SummitSkills. It will bring a much more influential voice for the sector with government and economies of scale in servicing the industry. The main benefit will be in SummitSkills being able to harness the strengths of a very diverse sector and focusing them to deal with the real skills, business development and productivity issues".

(CL)