Skills for Growth - SME Skills Support

Presenting our Success Stories. As part of our recent Skills for Growth - SME Skills Support evaluation event, our Skills Coaches, Mandy, Jane and Pam, shared their client's success stories.

Covering sectors including Manufacturing, VCSE and Food Production, these client case studies showcased the power of the Skills for Growth - SME Support programme and the fantastic results that have been achieved by Greater Manchester's SMEs and their workforce.

Visit our dedicated case studies page to read all about the success stories here https://ow.ly/ssK850PFQT7

We're now on the countdown to the end of the programme, and we're encouraging all SMEs who are currently on the programme to utilise the benefits of funded training, access to bitesize 'E' learning and dedicated Skills Coach support before it's too late.

"The main impact has been increased confidence across the workforce". The programme is generating results for Greater Manchester's SMEs and Learners. Check out our case study page to read and watch about the power of our programme.

Skills for Growth - SME Skills Support Case Studies https://ow.ly/cJTG50PExC8

Achieving tremendous results for over 3800 SMEs and 20,000 Learners.

1029 Days Later, our Skills for Growth - SME Skills Support evaluation day. Celebrating the powerful impact of our programme on Greater Manchester's SMEs and Learners.

Since our programme began in 2020, we've contributed towards supporting over 3800 SMEs and 20,000 learners from across Greater Manchester. Our team has been instrumental in the milestones, achievements and impact of this programme.

Yesterday, we gathered at Greater Manchester Chamber, UK HQ to celebrate and evaluate the Skills for Growth programme. The afternoon included presentations from each area of our team, and roundtable discussions to reflect on the programme, highlight successes and make future recommendations for skills provisions in Greater Manchester.

The event closed with special thanks from our heads of programme Dawn Duggan and Janine Richardson and a guest appearance from Donna Edwards, Managing Director of Business Support and Business Finance at The Growth Company

Now, we move on to the final weeks of programme delivery before the deadline of 30th September.

Thank you to our amazing Skills for Growth - SME Support; we've made a tremendous impact and a huge difference to Greater Manchester. What a team. 🌟

"Reaching 20K learners across the Skills for Growth programme is a tremendous achievement and shows the dramatic contribution it’s had on the future of Greater Manchester’s SMEs, learners and economy." Janine Richardson (MAPM) Programme Manager Skills for Growth - SME Skills Support

We're delivering results for Greater Manchester's SMEs. The Skills for Growth programme has now reached 20K Learners, and as a key partner, we have contributed towards this fantastic milestone. Our team has conducted bespoke skills consultations with Greater Manchester's SMEs to identify the skills gaps preventing them from achieving their goals and objectives. As a result, our tailored service and dedicated support have led to impressive outcomes for Greater Manchester's SMEs and Learners.

Check out the power of https://ow.ly/RXkT50PBkp7

Greater Manchester Chamber Of Commerce

Skills for Growth 20K Learners Milestone 🎯 We're delighted to share that team Skills for Growth - SME Skills Support has contributed towards the achievement of more than 20,000 Greater Manchester residents boosting their careers through the Skills for Growth programme.

Launched in 2020, commissioned by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and funded by the European Social Fund, Skills for Growth is a £42m programme designed to address skills gaps and support employers who have highlighted the shortage of technical skills in Greater Manchester required to grow their businesses.

Our Skills for Growth - SME Support team has focused on working with Greater Manchester's SMEs to identify the skills gaps within their business and recommend solutions for closing them using a combination of fully funded, part funded and commercial training options available on the GM Skills Map, access to Bitesize 'E' Learning and Skills Coach support.

The programme has resulted in SMEs experiencing positive outcomes, including increased staff retention, succession planning, an uplift in sales, improved productivity and business growth.

"Reaching 20K learners across the Skills for Growth programme is a tremendous achievement and shows the dramatic contribution it’s had on the future of Greater Manchester’s SMEs, learners and economy. The programme's impact has surpassed our expectations to close skills gaps, with programme learners also experiencing improvements in their
wellbeing, motivation and career progression. Our Skills for Growth - SME Support team are proud to have empowered learners to realise their potential with the help of fully funded training and dedicated support." Janine Richardson (MAPM), Programme Manager Skills for Growth - SME Support.

Read more about this tremendous achievement for Greater Manchester here https://ow.ly/uro450PAPa3

Celebrating Learning, Development, Growth, Success and the 30th Anniversary of Wallace and Gromit's 'The Wrong Trousers' film with Carrs Pasties. This week, we had the pleasure of visiting Bolton-based Carrs Pasties to film their Skills for Growth - SME Skills Support success story. As huge advocates of the GC Business Growth Hub and our Skills for Growth programme, we were warmly welcomed to enjoy a taste of the action from their family bakery business.

This visit coincided perfectly with this week's launch of the Carrs Pasties 'More Cheese, Ham and Chilli Jam' pasty. This delicious pasty is a "cracking combination" and the outcome of a unique collaboration with Aardman devised to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Wallace and Gromit's 'The Wrong Trousers' film.

An enormous thank you to everyone involved in this memorable production day. Thank you to the brilliant team at Carrs Pasties Ltd, Matt Carr, Joseph Carr, and Gavin Astley for a fantastic morning and for featuring as part of our success story video and sharing all your brilliant stories and insight.

Another huge thank you to Sara, Phil and Jake, the super-talented production team from SAZ MEDIA for capturing everything on camera.

And to Jane Duffy and Sam Thorpe for sharing your success stories from all your dedication, support and work with Carrs Pasties.

Look out for this Skills for Growth success story coming very soon; we can't wait to see the final showcase. 📽

Delivering results for Greater Manchester. Since the Skills for Growth programme started in 2020, we have contributed towards supporting over 3000 SMEs and 20,000 learners across Greater Manchester. Now is the time to work with our super talented Skills for Growth - SME Skills Support team (pictured below).

As we enter the final stages of our programme, we're encouraging Greater Manchester's SMEs and Learners to access the Skills for Growth before it's too late. Take advantage of the opportunity to upskill employees, improve productivity and drive business growth with fully funded training and dedicated support.

Discover the power of Skills for Growth https://ow.ly/sXSj50PsXSq

"The hub for emerging green technologies and retrofit qualifications" Thursday throwback to when we had the pleasure of visiting the GC Education & Skills Green Skills Academy.

As the place to develop the skills to install and maintain new green technologies, the Green Skills Academy is playing a critical role in Greater Manchester’s ambitions to reach Net Zero carbon as early as 2038. Thanks to a brilliant guided tour from Roosevelt Alexander, Director of the Green Skills Academy, we were impressed by everything the facility offers.

Another highlight was seeing a room full of participants on our Skills for Growth - SME Skills Support fully funded Journey to Net Zero course, with Net Zero and Sustainability advisor Rebecca Bowcock. This course is attracting Greater Manchester's SMEs to focus on their net zero ambitions.

To find out more about this course https://ow.ly/cJUS50Pryh0


GC Business Growth Hub

Start the new month by setting and achieving your career goals with access to Bitesize 'E' Learning. Our Skills for Growth - SME Skills Support programme provides online access to flexible, bitesize learning anytime and anywhere. This learning management platform empowers Greater Manchester's workforce by offering over 2000+ videos, eLearning assets, articles, interactive assessments, and built-in analytics. Learning is undertaken at a time best suited to individual learning styles and needs, resulting in effective learning outcomes.

Find out more about the positive effects of Bitesize E-Learning and discover what our programme can do for you and your business. https://ow.ly/9sna50Ppe8c

Celebrating Manchester Day ❤️

We're proud to deliver results for over 3000 SMEs and over 20K learners across our great city.

Don't miss out on your chance to get Skills for Growth with our Skills for Growth - SME Skills Support programme.

Click on the link to find out more https://ow.ly/BVlY50PnSTM

Course Deadline Countdown ⌛ Places are filling fast on our fully funded training courses, don't miss out; the deadlines are FAST approaching. We're working with Greater Manchester's SMEs to provide fully funded training and dedicated support to upskill employees, improve productivity and drive business growth.

With course options available for all industries and all futures, we have course options including; Construction, Digital, Early Years, Education, Green Skills, Health & Social Care, Hospitality, Leadership, Logistics, Media, Creative & Culture, Manufacturing, Professional Skills, Project Management and Security.

We're working with the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester; Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan.

To discover more about what our programme can do for you, visit our website at https://ow.ly/yWnv50PnSKE