Greater Manchester residents encouraged to take advantage of learning and training opportunities

People living and working in Greater Manchester are being encouraged to take advantage of the learning and training opportunities in the city-region as part of Lifelong Learning Week, taking place from 6th to 10th November 2023.

To help raise awareness of the benefits of accessing the training programmes on offer in the city-region, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is highlighting positive outcomes from its extensive work and skills offer. Training available aims to meet the skills needs of businesses in the city-region, as well as to help combat social isolation, support transferable skills and boost residents’ health and wellbeing.

Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, Greater Manchester’s Lead for Technical Education explained:

“Whilst learning for productivity and employment is important, learning simply for the joy of it has increasingly only been available to those who can afford it.

“Ensuring opportunities are available to all can reignite a thirst for knowledge and can support people to feel connected with their communities.

“We’re doing this in a number of ways across our policy areas from our Get Online GM programme, which encourages people to improve digital skills, stay safe online or access assistive technologies, to our Multiply programme allowing parents to access basic numeracy support so they can help children with their homework and feel more confident to get on top of their finances.”

Among those to have accessed learning opportunities in the city-region is John Wheeldon, MD at Wheeldon Brothers Waste in Bury, who took part in fully-funded training from GMCA’s Skills for Growth programme. He said of the importance of lifelong learning as a business leader:

“Nowadays, you need to invest in training. You can’t bury your head in the sand and hope for the best. Having children and grandchildren, I feel that I should lead by example and encourage them to be proactive as well.

“As an employer, it’s also important to enable staff to participate in training as it demonstrates care and responsibility and it also creates opportunities for them to gain promotions.”

While the Skills for Growth scheme has now closed, over its three year delivery period, it saw more than 25,00 individuals and 3,500 businesses enrol onto a prorgramme and achieved an 80% completion rate.

Other employer-shaped training opportunities are still available in the city-region through Greater Manchester’s Skills Bootcamps, Devolved Adult Education Budget, and Greater Manchester’s Multiply programme.

Cllr O’Brien added:

“We have a constantly evolving, extremely flexible suite of opportunities available to people of all backgrounds and experience that are often worked around a learner’s existing commitments and responsibilities.

“Lifelong learning is key to keeping abreast of changing landscapes and ensuring skills are fit for the future and it can be achieved in a multitude of ways from enrolling onto a qualification to simply joining a local club or group once a week. There are so many ways to gain new skills and perspectives that can support you to reach your ambitions.”