Date: 17/09/2020
Author: GMCC Skills Team
Company: GMCC Skills Team
Will Taylor, Business Skills Consultant at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, answers your questions about our new service for SMEs.
Sign up for a meeting here
What is the Skills Brokerage Programme?
- We are currently offering a free service meeting with SMEs based within Greater Manchester to produce a Workforce Development Plan
- We have offered this service before to help businesses engage with apprenticeship training, and we can still provide impartial guidance on this, but we are widening our scope to look at how businesses have been impacted by COVID-19 and seeing where we can help get businesses back on their feet
- We can look at your current workforce and identify any skills gaps you may have, say for example if you’ve had staff working in one role, that role may no longer be possible due to COVID-19, so they may be working in a new job, we can help you identify potential training routes for these employees
What sort of support is available for businesses that we can advise on?
- One area in particular that might be beneficial, if you’re a new business or a smaller business, you may not have had too much leadership training or experience, we might be able to help you find some leadership training to navigate the pandemic recovery for your business
- Maybe the business operating has changed; if staff have moved to online delivery of services and products, members of your workforce may benefit from digital skills training, and this is something we can help you identify and get involved with.
- Our aim is to help business get to a point where they can perform consistently, and start to grow again.
- There are some fantastic schemes and services currently being offered for businesses in GM, for example we’ve got
- Enterprising You, which provides free support for self-employed and gig economy workers for residents of GM with an income of under £27k including access to a Business Coach, a finance specialist, a health and wellbeing specialist as well as training and development facilities.
- There’s also Be The Business Mentoring for Growth, a 12 Week Rapid Response Programme providing fully funded executive business mentorship aimed at businesses with 6 or more staff and an annual turnover of at least £1 million
Which businesses can get involved?
- We are meeting with any businesses that are based within Greater Manchester that have less than 250 staff and a wage bill of under £3million, and that have not previously had a Workforce Development Review with us at the Chamber.
How do businesses find out more/arrange an appointment?
- If you’re a member you can contact your membership executive
- or Sign up for a meeting here
- If not, you can email professionalservices@gmchamber.co.uk or call us on 0161 393 4349