Workforce and Employability
Through collaborative partnerships, targeted investment and data-led approaches, we are committed to supporting young people to thrive while building a workforce that better reflects Greater Manchester.
Workforce and Employability is a cross-organisational priority area, recognising that the long-term sustainability, diversity and partnerships of our sector to create clear pathways for young people to develop skills, gain experience and access meaningful opportunities.
Through collaborative partnerships, targeted investment and data-led approaches, we are committed to supporting young people to thrive while building a workforce that better reflects Greater Manchester.
Children and Young People: Skills, Leadership and Workforce Pathways
Within Children and Young People, our focus is on developing skills, leadership and youth voice to ensure young people have opportunities to learn and shape the future of our sector. We recognise that employability is about more than qualifications alone.
Our approach aligns with Greater Manchester’s ambitions to help young people develop the skills and experiences needed to contribute to and benefit from opportunities across the region. Through strong partnerships and targeted programmes, we create routes into volunteering, leadership and employment while ensuring young people are represented in conversations about workforce development.
We focus on reaching those who face the greatest barriers to opportunity, including young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), care experienced young people, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and young people with limited social mobility. Using insight and data, we work with partners to target investment equitably and ensure opportunities reach the young people who can benefit from them most. We work with and support the ambitions set by the Greater Manchester combined authority.
Moving Forward Together
Moving Forward Together is a three-phase investment programme delivered jointly by Children and Young People and People and Leadership colleagues. The programme is currently in its third and final phase, organised by Young Manchester, with GM youth network acting as a delivery partner.
A cohort of young people is undertaking peer research through the GM Youth Alliance, exploring experiences and perceptions of volunteering, workforce opportunities and career pathways. The findings will provide valuable insight for sector leaders and partners, helping to shape future approaches to volunteering, workforce development and progression routes for young people across Greater Manchester.
Leadership Skills Foundation
We are one of only three active partnership areas in England delivering a Leadership Skills Foundation programme. Through trusted place-based partnerships in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale, the programme adopts a targeted approach to support cohorts of NEET, care experienced and social care involved young people.
Leadership Skills Foundation provides a range of recognised awards and qualifications that can be achieved through sport and youth-focused delivery. Borough partnerships can choose either to deliver a single award across multiple groups of young people or work with a defined cohort to access a range of awards and qualifications linked to alternative provision and individual progression pathways. Across all three boroughs, staff gained professional development opportunities by becoming award and qualification assessors.
The programme is now underway and will run for a full year, supporting young people to build confidence, gain recognised achievements and develop transferable skills that improve future education, volunteering and employment opportunities. Through this work, we are helping to diversify the future workforce while creating clear and accessible pathways into our sector for young people from a wide range of backgrounds.
