The Alliance of Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), which represents all 25 sector skills councils in the UK, has appointed its first chief executive since its formation in April 2008.

The new CEO will be John McNamara, six-year chief executive of BII - the licensed retail industry's professional body. He is also a director of the Hospitality Training Foundation.

According to a SSC spokesperson, the council is entering a "challenging period ahead, where the SSC's role in the qualification framework, the capacity and capability of training supply and the representation of employer interests in skills, are all combining to play a key role in boosting the competitiveness and productivity in the UK."

John Rogers, chair of the Alliance, said: "With John's leadership and collective effort of the constituent SSCs, there is now an opportunity for the breakthrough needed to make the skills system responsive to the needs of employers and individuals."