13 May 2009

SfEP responds to Publishing Skills Council draft strategy

SfEP media release

The Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP) has issued a critical response to Skillset's Publishing Sector Draft Strategy 2009.

Missed opportunity

Katharine Timberlake, SfEP's marketing and PR director, says, 'Questions were not asked, answers were not given and the evidence was patchy and poorly presented. Important issues and valuable opportunities are in danger of being overlooked because the strategy is based on an ill-prepared consultation paper.'

Gillian Clarke, publications director for SfEP, says, 'When I read the consultation document, I was disappointed to see that only employers had been surveyed. I feel that a golden opportunity to make a real difference to the industry is in danger of being missed.'

Incomplete data

SfEP's principal criticism of the strategy is that it is based on incomplete data. Some of the specific issues that concern the Society are:

no attempt is made to consider the needs of the self-employed, even though they may form up to a quarter of the workforce
no details are given of current educational and training provision, nor of what new provision is needed
the analysis of information, skills and statistics lacks thoroughness
significant sectors of the industry, such as information publishing, are entirely absent from the report
the report document itself is poorly presented and it is clear that no professional editorial services were used in its preparation.

Business-focused skills

As well as making specific comments on each of the six strands that make up the draft strategy, the SfEP advocates adding one further strand: to improve and develop business analysis and costing skills. It is vital that publishers use new business-focused skills to reduce costs, rather than continue down the path of increasingly poor rates of pay.

SfEP's response to the strategy concludes that the Society wishes to be involved in developing the publishing industry's skills strategy and would like to be consulted regularly and kept informed.

Continued involvement

After the response was submitted, Gillian Clarke and SfEP's professional development director Wendy Toole were invited to meet Skillset's publishing sector manager, Suzanne Ashley, for a brief chat at the London Book Fair. They comment: 'The Society would like to thank Suzanne for her openness to SfEP's criticisms and suggestions and her assurance that SfEP would be involved in future consultations.'

Suzanne Ashley says: 'The Society for Editors and Proofreaders provided a considered and detailed response to the draft skills strategy. We appreciate the comments the Society has provided so far and are delighted that it is interested in a continued involvement. The meeting at LBF was very constructive and we are looking forward to working more closely with the Society over the issues identified.'

Detailed and critical response

SfEP hopes that its detailed and critical response to the draft strategy document will ensure that the vital role played by editorial professionals in the UK's publishing industry is recognised in every aspect of strategic planning.

The SfEP is waiting to see whether the final strategy, due out this month, incorporates its ideas.

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