GM Skills Map helps thousands of people in Greater Manchester to access millions of pounds worth of fully funded training

Thanks to the GM Skills Map, we're proud to announce that over 2000 people working at businesses across Greater Manchester have started on a fully-funded training course, with a total value of more than £2,000,000.  

Launched in January 2021, the GM Skills Map is the dedicated online portal for all of the fantastic training, skills and apprenticeships available for businesses in Greater Manchester. Targeted at SMEs, this easy-to-use platform offers options covering disciplines including Sales and Marketing, Leaders, Digital, IT and Cyber Security, as well as more specialist courses for industry sectors including Manufacturing, Construction and Health and Social Care. 

Now, the Skills for Growth team is on a mission to drive more businesses and individuals to access the GM Skills Map and make sure that they are benefitting from all the training, skills and apprenticeship options that are readily available. With businesses facing rising costs this winter, the GM Skills Map is also a great way to help keep these costs down with access to funded training while also training staff to help the business grow and be more profitable at a difficult time. 

"GM Skills Map can help with keeping training costs down. Either through the part-funded or fully-funded training and also help develop businesses and employees in ways that could help through these uncertain times." Janine Richardson, Programme Manager, Skills for Growth.

Contributing to Greater Manchester businesses and their employees 

With outstanding achievements to date, the GM Skills Map has seen:    

• 284 people apply for apprenticeships. With an apprenticeship having a minimum cost of £3,000 this is an estimated £825,000 provided via GM Skills Map. From this group 140 have either applied, booked or been approved onto these apprenticeship courses, so a minimum value of approximately £420,000. 
  
  
• 2392 applications made to fully-funded training courses which were either approved, or the person was actually recorded as having started or completed the courses. If this is multiplied by the number of successful applicants to these courses, the total value provided is £2,204,499.92.
  
  
• 450 successful applications made to commercial courses totalling £93,416.11.
  

Janine Richardson, Programme Manager, Skills for Growth, said: “GM Skills Map has been an excellent success since we launched it last year. We’ve seen fantastic engagement from both individuals and employees, many of whom have taken part in either partly-funded or fully-funded training.  

There's never been a better time to access the GM Skills Map 

GM Skills Map is open to all SMEs across our 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester. The easy-to-use platform offers both employers and learners the functionality to search a range of commercial, full and part-funded training courses. Businesses and their employees also have the additional benefit of working the dedicated and experienced team of Skills Coaches, to help them through every step of the way. 

"There's a whole range of courses available that can help to upskill people but also to help to solidify a business's strategic goals. I would urge all businesses to take a look and ensure that they are accessing all the options that are available. This could be especially important this winter with many businesses facing rising costs." Janine Richardson, Programme Manager, Skills for Growth. 

To take advantage of everything that GM Skills Map has got to offer your SME business, visit the GM Skills Map here