Spike in demand for digital skills in Manchester
Requests by companies for social media and digital marketing courses and apprenticeships far outstrips all other enquiries at the Greater Manchester Skills Gateway – a new service set up last summer to demonstrate the tangible benefits that investment in skills can bring to businesses, while providing a free, impartial service for employers to help them identify the right training for themselves and their employees.
Since its inception less than a year ago, the Skills Gateway has seen an unprecedented demand from all sectors to recruit young people with digital skills, with more than 1,200 employees from businesses across the region enrolling onto courses. More than 20 per cent of those have come from the creative and digital sector.
However, the city boasts some interesting, new initiatives to tackle the demand for these new skills.
“What is abundantly clear is that employers in the city are certainly not sitting back waiting for change,” says the Skills Gateway’s operations director, Angie Took. “There are some superb examples of how training has revolutionised businesses, leading to major company growth in some cases.”
One outstanding city success has been the Creative Pioneers apprenticeship scheme, which has grown exponentially since its launch in the city last year. Creative Pioneers is an award-winning national scheme to find the next generation of advertising, creative and digital media talent. It’s run by trade association, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and employers in the city last year offered 13 apprentice jobs. This year the number of jobs on offer could increase to 50.
“There is insatiable demand among our businesses to find young, naturally talented individuals who can be nurtured and developed to fulfil their potential,” says Creative Pioneers executive director, Janet Hull.
Another Manchester initiative is the Juice Academy, set up by the award-winning PR agency, Tangerine PR.
“Our sector is struggling for social media skills,” says Tangerine’s chairperson, Sandy Lindsay. “So, we decided to do something about it; as well as growing our own team, at The Juice Academy we’ve trained social media apprentices for leading employers such as JW Lees and Pets At Home, as well as a wide range of creative agencies. It’s been a steep learning curve but apprentices are superstars – they’re good for business.”
The Skills Gateway is playing its part by taking on its own digital and social media marketing apprentice, 19-year-old Katie Turnbull.
“I’ve always wanted to work in digital marketing and did consider going to university like my twin sister, but the apprenticeship option gave me that combination of learning and on-the-job knowledge that should take me to the next level in the industry,” says Katie.
However, the demand for digital skills in the city goes far beyond the creative sector.
“We’ve spoken to employers who run small engineering or manufacturing businesses; to shopkeepers; to restaurant owners and to care home providers,” says the Skills Gateway’s Angie Took. “Right across the board, as technologies transform business models, employers need these new skills. This is a problem which isn’t going to change overnight – it needs a new ‘grassroots’ approach, involving better communications between education at all levels and employers.
At a recent meeting between the Skills Gateway and Manchester employers, many businesses articulated their struggles to form meaningful partnerships with local schools and colleges in order to inform young people about the ongoing need for skills at businesses today.
“The problem is that employers find it difficult to connect with the schools. They do want to reach out and get schools to understand the skills that are needed, particularly the demand for new digital skills, but bridging infrastructure to allow them to do so is just not in place,” says Angie Took.
But changes may be afoot. The new “Devo Manc” proposals, which will see Manchester become the UK’s first genuinely financially-devolved city, will see a further £1 billion in devolved funds go into the city region, giving authorities direct responsibility for skills spending along with transport, planning and housing.
Within this new city structure, the Skills Gateway is part of Greater Manchester’s desire to create and develop a culture of an employer-led and learner-focused skills system that will undoubtedly lead to growing the regional economy.
“Since our foundation last July, we have helped to build and maintain strong relationships with – and between – employers and training providers,” says Angie. “We’ve also identified best practice, while providing a platform for future opportunities and growth.”
The Gateway also allows businesses and organisations to access a free skills review, which can help employers identify skills needs throughout their company and also potentially identify funding to support staff development. For further information visit: www.gmskillsgateway.co.uk/free-skills-review/ or call 0161 817 5007.
Angie Took, Operations Manager, GM Skills Gateway
Tel: 0161 817 5007
Email: gateway@gmskills.co.uk
Web: www.gmskillsgateway.co.uk
Twitter: @gmskillsgateway
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GM Skills Gateway
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