Greater Manchester’s most urgent manufacturing skills revealed
- Tuesday, September 5, 2023
- Posted By The Growth Company
Over the course of 2022-23, our Manufacturing Service has played a key role in helping to deliver lean manufacturing skills to local manufacturers through our Lean Champion, Production Leader and Made for Manufacturing programmes, as well as one-to-one support from our specialist Advisors.
Meanwhile, the Hub’s Sustainability and Net Zero Service has helped Greater Manchester manufacturers to build up their in-house sustainability skills through the Low Carbon Skills: Journey to Net Zero training programme.
Greater Manchester’s new Local Skills Improvement Plan highlights key skills shortages across the city region, including the highest priorities in manufacturing.
The Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) brings together employers’ views, local authority investment plans and analysis of vacancies and skills requirements to highlight skills shortages in Greater Manchester.
Soft skills and basic digital literacy shortages are among the main concern for the city region’s employers overall.
Within the manfuacturing sector specifically, the skills gaps that need to be addressed most urgently include energy efficiency and waste management skills, lean manufacturing, and roles focusing on sustainability.
There are also high priority skills gaps in industries focusing on robotics and automation technologies, with industrial electrical trades and electricians also in high demand.
Computer-aided manufacturing and digitalisation skills have been identified as ‘medium priority’, although demand is projected to increase along with the pace of technological change. Welding and fitting skills are also categorised as a medium priority despite adequate supply for the time being.
Greater Manchester’s training providers have jointly committed to using the LSIP to explore where skills provision needs to change or new courses need to be brought in.
GC Business Growth Hub was part financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2014-2021, as part of a portfolio of ERDF-funded programmes designed to help ambitious SME businesses achieve growth and increase employment in Greater Manchester. Eligibility criteria was applied. The 2014-2021 ERDF fund was allocated by the European Union that finances convergence, regional competitiveness and employment and territorial co-operation.
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), formerly the Department for Communities and Local Government was the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which was one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information, visit European Regional Development Fund: Documents and Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you would like to know more please contact us at bgh@growthco.uk