Greater Manchester | Devolved Regions | NCFE

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Greater Manchester

Building the skills Greater Manchester needs to grow 

In Greater Manchester, we work closely with providers and partners to understand real local skills needs and the place-based challenges.  

That insight helps us shape practical, targeted solutions that deliver results for you, your learners and your region. 

From navigating devolution to delivering in-demand skills, we support you every step of the way. This helps your learners move into jobs or progress to further study. 

Ready to strengthen your provision and meet local demand? Partner with us today. 

 

The Greater Manchester LSIP Agenda  
What is Greater Manchester aiming to achieve? 

Greater Manchester's skills agenda is focused on creating a skilled local workforce that can contribute to a growing economy. It also aims to ensure residents have a clear route into good work and opportunities to progress. 

The Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) brings employers into the conversation about the skills the city region needs now and in the future. Its priorities include addressing skills gaps, improving digital capability, developing essential work skills and supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. 

Find out more

Contact our team today to start shaping solutions targeted to your region’s skills needs.

New Technologies In School
Linking learning to better jobs
Greater Manchester is focused on giving residents a clearer route into good, sustainable employment. For providers, this means delivering learning that develops the skills employers value and creates meaningful progression opportunities.
Technical Teaching
Developing talent for a growing economy
The region has identified significant opportunities across areas including advanced manufacturing, creative industries, digital, cyber and AI, health innovation and life sciences, and low carbon. Developing the right skills will be central to supporting continued growth in these areas.
Person In New Industries
Helping people adapt to change
Technology, automation and the transition to a greener economy are changing the skills employers need. Greater Manchester is therefore looking to build both occupational and transferable skills. This will help people adapt, retrain and progress throughout their working lives.
Foreman In Safety Uniform
Creating opportunity across the city region
Skills are also an important part of tackling economic inactivity and removing barriers to employment. Greater Manchester's approach brings skills, employment and wider support together to help more residents access positive employment and progression opportunities.
What are the main priorities for Greater Manchester? 
Greater Manchester LSIP

The Greater Manchester LSIP sets out agreed, actionable priorities for local employers, providers and other stakeholders. We have identified NCFE products that can help centres meet the general skill priorities in these areas:   

  • Education and Early Years 
  • Health and Social Care  
  • Digital and Technology 
  • Creative, Culture and Sport 
  • Cross Cutting Themes (Digital Skills and Professional Development/Business Skills)

How can NCFE support Greater Manchester? 

NCFE have a wide-ranging portfolio of qualifications that can support in Greater Manchester. Below we have broken down what we have identified as key qualifications that deliver to the LSIP agenda.  

Sector Qualifications
Education and Training View our suite of Education and Training qualifications 
Childcare and Early Years View our suite of Childcare and Early Years qualifications 
Health and Social Care   View our suite of Health and Social Care qualifications
Digital and Technology  
 View our suite of Digital qualifications
Culture, Creative, Tourism and Hospitality  

View our suite of qualifications for Travel and Tourism

General Skills (level 1) are mapped to units from Level 1 Employability Skills and Level 1 Occupational Studies. Access all our preparation for work and employability qualifications. 

 

  NCFE Employability skills NCFE Occupational Studies
Communication and customer service
  • Understanding your customers
  • Business and customer awareness
  • Using social media in the workplace
  • Using online collaborative workplace tools
  • Using telephones in the workplace
  • IT communication fundamentals
  • Understanding business communication
  • Developing customer service skills
Project management and teamwork
  • Taking part in a project
  • Working in a team
  • Working with colleagues
  • Understanding conflict at work
  • Meetings in the workplace
  • Undertaking an enterprise project
Self-management, time management, and organisational skills
  • Setting yourself targets
  • Managing your time
  • Time management skills
Confidence, creativity, adaptability, and resilience
  • Understanding mindset
  • Understanding motivation
  • Developing assertiveness
  • Creative thinking
  • Coping with change
  • Improving own learning and performance
Critical thinking, planning and problem solving
  • Problem solving at work
  • Problem solving at work
Business skills and interview techniques
  • Job and training search skills
  • Job application skills
  • Interview skills
  • Writing a CV
  
Digital literacy
  • ICT for employment
  
Microsoft suite  
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Word processing software

General Skills Level 2 is mapped to units from Level 2 Employability Skills and Level 2 Occupational Studies. Find out more about our preparation for work and employability qualifications.

  NCFE Employability skills NCFE Occupational Studies
Communication and customer service
  • Understanding your customers
  • Business and customer awareness
  • Presenting information
  • Using online collaborative workplace tools
  • Social media in the workplace
  • Communication skills for business
  • Using email
Project management and teamwork
  • Managing a project
  • Working in a team
  • Dealing with conflict
  • Working with colleagues
  • Valuing and supporting others
  • Working in a team
Self-management, time management, and organisational skills
  • How to keep improving
  • Setting your targets
  • Managing your time
  
Confidence, creativity, adaptability, and resilience
  • Understanding mindset
  • Understanding motivation
  
Critical thinking, planning and problem solving
  • Problem solving in a place of work
  • Understanding innovation
  • Creative thinking
  • Understanding and coping with change
  • Problem solving in the workplace
Business skills and interview techniques
  • Job search skills
  • Job application skills
  • Interview skills
  
Digital literacy
  • ICT for employment
  • Improving productivity using IT
Microsoft suite  
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Presentation software
  • Word processing software

Digital skills will be required in future work environments. Greater Manchester will need to accelerate the development of more advanced digital capability, to avoid falling behind the rest of the UK 

Digital skills are increasingly required for better jobs and improve regional economic resilience. Jobs requiring higher digital skills reduce the risk of job elimination due to automation by 59%. 

NCFE can support by supplying a wide coverage of these skills from the cross-cutting essential skills to specific higher digital skills providing pathways into jobs. 

Click here to view our suite of Digital Skills qualifications. 

NCFE offer a wide range of standalone units across multiple sector areas. They provide flexible opportunities to support employability, workforce development and personal progression. Discover standalone units. 

Sector Workplace skills Digital skills
Construction
  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Self-management
  • Adaptability
  • Basic digital skills
Green Energy and Net Zero
  • Adaptability
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Self-management
  • Value-driven
  • Data literacy
  • Data analysis
  • Coding
Health and Social Care
  • Face-to-face communication
  • Telephone skills
  • Written skills
  • General IT skills
  • Excel skills
Business and Professional Services
  • Communication
  • Client management skills
  • Problem solving, fact finding and research skills
  • Ability to interpret information
  • Project management
  • Confidence
  • Creativity
  • Data analytics
  • Excel skills
  • Data protection
  • Cyber security
Culture, Creative, Tourism and Hospitality
  • Business skills
  • Customer service
  • Communication skills
  
Cross Cutting Themes
  • Communication
  • Critical thinking
  • Planning
  • Problem solving
  • Project management and planning
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Interview techniques
  • Job application skills
  • Teamwork
  • Time management
  • Organisational skills
  • Confidence and resilience
  • Basic IT skills
  • Microsoft suite
  • Social media skills
Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs)

Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) provide a flexible way for providers to respond to local recruitment and skills needs.

Programmes can be shaped around particular employers, sectors and occupations, combining industry knowledge, practical skills and preparation for the workplace. This can help learners build confidence and develop the capabilities they need to move towards employment.

NCFE qualifications can support SWAP delivery that reflects local labour market requirements and the priority areas identified through Local Skills Improvement Plans.

Find out more about our SWAPs offer.

 

Where is the information I need?  

The Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network (GMLPN) provides an opportunity for providers to stay connected with developments across the region, share good practice and understand emerging priorities. 

Through the network and wider regional skills activity, providers can keep up to date with changes across adult learning, apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps and technical education. This helps providers ensure their provision continues to reflect the needs of learners, employers and the wider Greater Manchester economy.