MORE than 10,000 residents in Greater Manchester have gained the skills they need to progress their careers thanks to the Skills for Growth programme.

Skills for Growth is celebrating this huge achievement after being granted funding through the European Social Fund for the three-year programme. Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has been using the funding to develop partnerships with businesses and training providers to create the learning opportunities needed for residents to further their careers, and for local business to fill skills gaps.

The programme launched during the start of the coronavirus pandemic. As Greater Manchester’s economy rebuilds and recovers, Skills for Growth is helping create a greener, fairer and more prosperous city-region through supporting individuals to upskill and reskill, and business to grow.

There are now more than 10,000 participants to date who have completed Skills for Growth courses, with individuals urged to take advantage of the fully funded training available. Skills for Growth has supported people from a variety of backgrounds – over 49% of learners were female, more than 20% from racially minoritised communities and 17% were over the age of 50.

Since the programme launched in 2020, 11 training providers have been commissioned to deliver a wide range of skills across Digital, Construction, Health and Social Care, Early Years, Allies in Cancer Care, Manufacturing, Logistics, Security, Green Skills, Media, Blue Light Services and other professional training opportunities.

Ibraheem Ahmad, 33, from Oldham, completed the digital course ‘Get hired as a UX Professional’ with Serco and the Coders Guild. This training led to him gaining a new role as a Business Analyst in a tech company earning a starting annual wage of £40K. The Skills for Growth programme has completely changed his career direction from the manufacturing sector to a career in tech.

Ibraheem said:

“The programme has really made a difference to my life. I used to work in the manufacturing sector. Now I’m working in tech.

“The course helped me greatly and was pivotal in landing me the role. I am now a Business Analyst, and my job revolves around improving user experience. Colleagues in different units have all come to see me as a very useful and resourceful person. So, the benefit is not limited to me.

“The content of the course and the knowledge of the tutors are outstanding, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking toward personal development to drive their career forward. I simply couldn’t have done it without Skills for Growth.”

Throughout the programme the intelligence gathered from businesses about their skills and training requirements has been used to shape new provision, which means the solutions are truly unique, employer-led and fit for purpose.

Teaching staff at St. Joseph and St. Bede R.C. Primary School, in Bury, accessed a 3D printing course through Serco and 3D360.  The course has been designed to help learners develop skills in adaptive technologies and gives them the edge when delivering lessons across the school’s STEM curriculum. It also gives pupils an insight into the latest technologies and possible career paths for their future development.

Jane Myerscough, headteacher at St. Joseph and St. Bede R.C. Primary School said:

“At St. Joseph and St. Bede R.C. Primary School we’re always thrilled to learn new ways to use technology and raise the profile of the computing curriculum.

“The 3D printing training makes it easy to adopt – if the training was more difficult it wouldn’t work as well for the teacher and students.

“I’ve been astounded at how much the students have loved the 3D printing program over the last four months. The profile of computing across the school has been raised and there is a buzz about 3D Printing. Teachers love using it to promote the four ‘Cs’ – Collaboration, Critical thinking, Communication and Creativity.”

Part of the Skills for Growth mission is to plug skills gaps in industries such as Health and Social Care and Blue Light Services. Partner provider Acorn Training has curated a specialised programme to tackle the ongoing challenges in the Health and Social Care sector, with a focus on encouraging progression in the industry and teaching technical skills to support staff.