GM Skills Map launches to bridge Greater Manchester skills gaps for a future-proof workforce 

 Greater Manchester Skills Map will launch on Wednesday January 13th as an extension to the Skills for Growth – SME Support programme delivered by GC Business Growth Hub in partnership with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, funded by the European Social Fund and commissioned by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.  

Functioning as a transparent and easily accessible gateway between Greater Manchester’s many training providers and future learners, GM Skills Map aims to assist over 4000 SMEs and 17,000 individuals to equip themselves with the skills for the future. GM Skills Map is the next piece of the Skills Revolution in Greater Manchester, and all those involved will play their part in helping our community move confidently and capably through the current economic challenges and emerge thriving and prepared in the future world.  

Benefits for Training Providers 

There are numerous benefits for training providers looking to partner with GM Skills Map and Manchester’s future learners, including but not limited to: 

• Being a part of the #SkillsRevolution movement to help Manchester’s many SMEs survive and thrive beyond the pandemic 
• Reach more learners from your area and beyond and establish your business as a future-forward, go-to education provider for Manchester SMEs and individuals 
• You’ll receive end-to-end support from our team, from setting up your accreditations on our portal to connecting with learners interested in the courses you’re offering 

• You will establish an association with Manchester’s most business-centric advocates including our partners at the GM Good Employment Charter, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Greater Manchester Combined Authority 
• Discover the many support services we offer through Skills for Growth – SME Support that may benefit your business in other ways, such as Business Change Management, Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Apprenticeship or Kickstart applications 

Benefits for SMEs and individuals 

The pandemic has helped us to realise that addressing the skills gaps in our workforce are of the utmost priority, which we can no longer delay. GM Skills Map is here to provide that spark and drive Manchester towards a brighter future through skills, training and development. Individuals interested in GM Skills Map will: 

• Access our transparent skills map so that you can easily explore Manchester’s plethora of training providers and courses available to you, all in one place 
• Get connected to one of our Skills Coaches offering personalised, one-to-one support down to an employee level 
• Utilise our fully funded programme to benefit your future, including access to impartial advice and guidance unique to your needs 
• Access specialist services in Health and Wellbeing, Business Change and Apprenticeships  
• Get help navigating the trickiest parts of the pandemic like coping in lockdown, managing furlough and redundancies 

GM Skills Map will launch on Wednesday 13th January 2021, with Skills for Growth – SME Support as the middleman, helping to match learners and training providers across Greater Manchester.  

This year we need not only the willingness to embrace change, but most importantly the skills to enact it, and it is our hope that this programme will help our great city to survive, thrive and come back stronger than before through workforce development and future-proof skills training.  

Visit GM Skills Map here: Skills For Growth - Skills Map (gmskillsmap.co.uk) 

For more information on how you can start your skills revolution, contact our team on 0161 237 4444 or email enquiries@skillsforgrowthsme.co.uk today. 

_{The Growth Company is an award-winning, not-for-profit social enterprise with a mission to enable growth, create jobs and improve lives. We provide individuals and businesses with a wide range of services that improve employment, skills, investment and enterprise for the benefit of all, and have been working in the Greater Manchester city region for more than 30 years.} 

_{This project receives funding from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England.}  

_{The Department for Work and Pensions is the Managing Authority for the England European Social Fund programme.}  

_{Established by the European Union, the European Social Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support skills development, employment and job creation, social inclusion and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.}