On Monday (November 19) the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, supported by National Apprenticeship Service and The University of Manchester held a conference for employers and training providers to highlight the work carried out as part of the project and to share best practice.

The GMCA has been working closely with the National Apprenticeship Service, local employers and four other city regions to promote the take-up of apprenticeships in under-represented groups.

This follows on from the national ‘5 Cities Project’ launched back in March by Skills Minister Anne Milton to encourage Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and those from disadvantage backgrounds to consider the apprenticeship route.

Since then Greater Manchester has been demonstrating how apprenticeships can transform the skills landscape to ensure that there are enough high quality opportunities for millions of people, all ages and backgrounds.

Across the region work has been done to help break down the barriers and perceptions of apprenticeships with a view to encourage more employers to be inclusive, and show that apprenticeships offer an alternative, high quality education with a clear path to employment. This sits alongside the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham’s vision to create a UCAS-style application platform to support young people to make informed career choices about all routes.