This article is posted on behalf of Manchester's Digital Strategy, Strategic Partners of the Digital Skills Festival 2024.
Manchester, having demonstrated a strong lifelong learning offer across our city, has officially been recognised as a UNESCO: City of Lifelong Learning.
This is a great achievement for our city, but what does this mean for the digital and creative sector?
Manchester, one of the UK’s fastest growing cities, with strong population and economic growth, we’ve co-created a world leading offer built on knowledge, collaboration and investment.
Our latest success, in February 2024, Manchester was officially recognised as a UNESCO: City of Lifelong Learning, after demonstrating a track record of making lifelong learning a reality for all.
This recognition sees Manchester joining an international network of 356 cities, from around the world, each successfully demonstrating strong lifelong learning collaboration between education and skills, communities, employers, the public sector and a wider range of partners.
The city is committed to the inclusive growth of our residents and businesses, exploring innovative solutions which enable all residents to access and benefit from economic growth. Lifelong learning is a vital component in our residents feeling empowered, a sense of citizenship and having a happy and healthy quality of life.
Manchester has a richness of opportunities to connect your business with the talent across our city… But how can your organisation get involved?
- Digital T-Level placements: Provide mutually beneficial industry exposure, for young emerging talent from The Manchester College, by offering 45-day industry placements. Want to know more? Contact LTheophanous@tmc.ac.uk..
- Ambition Manchester: Supporting your staff to reach their potential, including progression and promotion, through dedicated in-work support.
The support includes free training, identifying transferable skills, providing coaching and much more… Find out more via ambition@manchester.gov.uk. - Apprenticeships are a way of attracting new, and growing existing, talent. The SME Apprenticeship Support Service provides free and impartial advice, helping you to navigate the apprenticeship offer.
Do you have Apprenticeship Levy underspend? Alternatively, is your levy fully spent, but you have more apprenticeship needs? You could gift funding to, or request funding from, the GM Levy Matchmaking Service. - Greater Manchester’s Good Employment Charter: A charter which celebrates employment excellence, which benefits employees across the region.
Do you want to standout to local talent, setting you apart from other employers? Explore the potential benefits of becoming a ‘Good Employment Charter’ member. - Manchester’s Digital Skills Framework (MDSF): Bringing industry, training providers and relevant stakeholders together to co-design a user focused digital skills framework; to diagnose and map their digital skills needs against provision.
Get involved by contacting: Professor Ang Davies, Academic Theme Lead for Flexible Learning Pathways, at the University of Manchester: angela.davies@manchester.ac.uk.
Does the skills system meet your workforce needs? If not, you can:
- Influence the Mayor’s technical education city region ambitions, applying to be involved in the Employer Supporter’s Action Network (ESAN).
- Feed into the Local Skills Improvement Plan, which aims to set out actionable priorities for skills, based on employer input and insights.
Manchester's Digital Strategy were Strategic Partners of the Digital Skills Festival 2024. To find out more about the strategy, click here.
