MORE than 1,200 additional apprenticeships could be created in
Greater Manchester to help support smaller businesses and
priority sectors such as digital and health and social care.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority will be using almost
£4million of funding available after three schemes (the Youth
Contract Expansion, Greater Manchester Apprenticeship Grant for
Employers and Greater Manchester City Deal) came in under budget
to support the creation of apprenticeships in the city-region.
It will also be used to build on the Mayor of Greater Manchester
’s ambition to create a
UCAS-style application process to support young people to make
informed career choices about all routes, including
apprenticeships.
The Small-to-Medium Enterprise (SME) Apprenticeships Support
Package will help smaller employers that have yet to engage with
apprenticeships and require additional incentive and support to
do so. It will work with at least 1,500 employers to create at
least 700 new apprenticeship opportunities by using levy
transfers, grants and workforce planning advice to remove
barriers.
The funding will also be used to support apprenticeships and
skills growth in priority areas, such as digital, health and
social care, finance and construction to create a minimum of 500
high quality apprenticeship opportunities. The GMCA will
facilitate partnerships in these priority sectors between
employers and apprenticeship and skills providers to create a
pipeline of talent that meets employer needs.
The Greater Manchester Apprentice Ambassador Programme will also
be relaunched, helping to engage potential apprentices with
accurate information and peer-to-peer advice. This will see a
team of apprentice advocates for Greater Manchester that are
trained to promote opportunities by sharing their experiences.
These will be part of the work being carried out under the
Greater Manchester Apprenticeship Hub and the #SeeDifferent
campaign.
Underpinning all of this is work is our aim of ensuring our young
people have the right information to make choices about their
future career path. An element of the funding will be used to
expand the work of BridgeGM, which links businesses to schools to
ensure all young people have a high quality interaction with the
work of work and gain valuable careers education.
This links with the development of the UCAS-style system, which
will make technical education such as apprentices more accessible
and improve their perception.
Councillor Sean Fielding, Leader of Oldham Council and
GMCA lead for Education and Skills, said: “We are
determined here in Greater Manchester to make sure our young
people are equipped for life and also that there are good jobs
available for people to progress and develop, and we can’t
achieve either of these goals without apprenticeships.
“It is not just about apprenticeships though, it is about the
right apprenticeships for the right people and this is why these
programmes are so important. Around 80 per cent of apprenticeship
opportunities in Greater Manchester are with small-to-medium
enterprises and we need to work with these employers to give
people the best chance to start or develop their career.
“In addition to helping give people essential skills and career
paths, apprenticeships can also give employers the talented
workforce and skills they need. This in turn benefits all of us
in the city-region and can contribute to us having a thriving
economy with the right jobs and opportunities for everyone.”
This week the GMCA has been hosting a dedicated SME zone at the
National Apprenticeship Show at Bolton Arena, highlighting the
range of opportunities available across Greater Manchester in
employers of all sizes and sectors.
