GMCA partners with Association of Apprentices to boost opportunities across Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has agreed a new partnership with the Association of Apprentices (AoA) to help boost opportunities and the learning experience in the city-region.

The city-region has entered into a three-year formal Memorandum of Understanding with the non-profit body supporting apprentices across the UK that sets out a commitment to increase support and training opportunities across Greater Manchester. GMCA and AoA will work together to connect SMEs with apprentices, provide training events and increase peer learning groups and support.

Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, GMCA Portfolio Lead for Education, Skills, Work, Apprenticeships and Digital, said:

“We want Greater Manchester to be one of the best places in the world to grow up, get on and grow old. A key part of this is ensuring that everyone can access the very best career and training opportunities, across a broad spectrum of industries, right here in Greater Manchester.  

“The proposals set out in our Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of Apprentices (AoA) are really exciting, and will help to support us in achieving our ambitious plans to increase the number of high-quality apprenticeships and opportunities for people living in the city-region.

“Through our partnership working with AoA, we aim to continue to lead the way in apprenticeship employment while focussing on the needs of learners and employers. I urge apprentices, learning providers and employers across Greater Manchester to please get involved with the AoA network, access advice and reap the benefits of meeting other like-minded apprentices.”

Emily Austin, CEO of Association of Apprentices, said:

“I’m delighted to be working with the GMCA.  With their support and focus on apprenticeship growth and quality across Greater Manchester, we can reach and enrich the experiences of hundreds of apprentices, especially those working in small and medium sized organisations.   We also support training providers and employers to build, manage and engage their apprentice communities, and through GMCA, we can work collaboratively to benefit everyone involved with delivering apprenticeships.”

The AoA is a not-for-profit organisation which was set up in 2019 to support apprentices in the UK, and is open to current and recently completed apprentices, with opportunities to attend networking events and complete online courses.

The new partnership forms part of a wider commitment in Greater Manchester to increase the number of high-quality apprenticeships available to residents and builds on existing infrastructure in the city-region to support access to apprenticeships, including the Greater Manchester Apprenticeship and Careers Service and the Growth Company’s Levy Matchmaking Service for employers.

An inaugural apprentice networking event is set to take place on 27^th September this year in Manchester city centre to mark the start of the new partnership – further details are available via Eventbrite.