The Sports Think Tank recently took part in the first of the series "Conversations with a Purpose", organised in collaboration with the UK Sport Development Research Network (UKSDN) and The Sport and Recreation Alliance. With leading academics, thought leaders and representatives of membership bodies, the roundtable discussion focused on workforce, training and employment in the sport sector. The debate was centred on the need for a specific workforce and training framework to complement the wider sports strategy announced last year.

The tone of the discussion was set within the current policy vogue for "employer-led" strategies & directions and the impact of this on a possible future plan for workforce standards. It was felt that while the needs of employers should shape training, education and standards across the sector.

While this is seen as a long overdue approach (not least as employer preferences have been well-known for some time), the model had limitations: there are, for instance, many education-providers who believe that their courses have a wider role than just satisfying employers: providing broader life-skills, with an emphasis on attitudes and values in addition to functional skills for employability.

Evidence suggests it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict future skills and workforce needs in a rapidly changing and unpredictable knowledge economy. This presents significant challenges to employers and education & training providers in all sectors and is therefore something a future framework may need to recognise and, over time, seek to address.

The discussion highlighted the importance of 'soft skills' and employability, as well as the need for a competency-based approach to training where students and aspiring employees would focus on demonstrating knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviours as part of undertaking education & training.

Furthermore, in order to address the perennial questions about measurement and agreeing on key performance indicators, putting people at the heart of delivering the strategy was crucial. The consensus of shared opinion suggested that a progressive approach to measurement should be adopted and a traditional, number-focused, public sector approach should be avoided. While a dynamic and evolving strategy is necessary, there must still be key performance indicators that can provide robust evidence of results to government, so that sport can reap the rewards of a sector seen to be delivering tangible improvement.

One prominent issue discussed was the challenge facing further and higher education in convincing employers of the employability value of higher education qualifications. The disparate nature of the higher education sector and the independence of universities and their individual practises makes these barriers and future integration particularly challenging.

Despite this, the role of further and higher education in cultivating the future workforce is pivotal, as is academic expertise in the role of pursuing research in the sector. Additionally, there is strong feeling that the future of training lies in apprenticeships and industry degrees in higher education.

The sport sector professional development body, CIMSPA, has been charged with presenting future directions for workforce and training to the Government. A newly-formed Professional Development Board, representing the sector, now consults on the new workforce strategy. A cross-governmental workforce group (incorporating DCMS, the Department of Education, the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, and the Department for Health) has been agreed in principle.

The task of achieving a joined-up approach across the sport sector to a competency-based approach presents a significant challenge. There is however, good reason to believe that there will be substantial rewards and recognition for a sector that can demonstrate success in raising standards in training and employability and show the Government that sport and physical activity sector can get its house in order and make tangible impact on the delivery of the Government's Sports Strategy.

Luke Regan is Researcher with The Sports Think Tank