Youth charity The Prince’s Trust is partnering with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to help close the skills gap by empowering local young people to realise their potential. The Trust is delivering a multi-million pound, government-backed initiative called the Future Workforce Fund, which will support young people to secure the skills and experience needed for adult life.
The Prince’s Trust is partnering with businesses to support thousands of young people across all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, with the GMCA match-funding up to £6m to help change young lives in the region.
The youth charity will expand the delivery of its established personal development and employability courses and provide new opportunities for unemployed young people, helping them develop the skills and confidence they need to move into work or training.
The charity will be working with local and national employers to establish sector specific courses, organise opportunities for young people to visit local businesses, hold recruitment days and offer training opportunities, all of which help to bridge the current gap between employers and young people.
Clare Crabb, Director of the North of England for The Prince’s Trust, said: “This ground-breaking multimillion pound partnership between the GMCA and The Trust gives us the opportunity to transform thousands of young lives across Greater Manchester and ensure local employers are able to fill skills gaps in their sector.
“At The Prince’s Trust, we believe that young people can be the solution to skills shortages that many employers tell us they’re facing, and the Future Workforce Fund is a huge step towards unlocking the potential of undiscovered young talent across Greater Manchester. Expanding delivery of our programmes in the area will allow us to support even more young people to kick start their careers, working with employers who want to take a fresh look at young talent.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “The Future Workforce Fund will help young people make their way in life and connect them with opportunities to support them in developing their confidence and skills.
“We are pleased to be supporting this initiative and are now looking forward to embarking on this exciting new partnership with The Prince's Trust - which will be key to tackling youth unemployment across Greater Manchester. The organisation already has an increasing demand for its provision from businesses and young people, and are well positioned to meet the ambitions of the Future Workforce Fund.”
Councillor Sean Fielding, Leader of Oldham Council and GMCA lead for Education and Skills said: “It’s fantastic news for young people across our city-region that there will be even more opportunities for them with the introduction of the Future Workforce Fund. The courses the Prince’s Trust will deliver will really help young people discover their potential and prepare them for the world of work. I look forward to our city-region reaping the benefits of this new initiative.”
This year, The Prince’s Trust will support thousands of young people to develop the confidence and skills they need to get into work, education or training. To find out more about how The Trust works with young people and employers across Greater Manchester, please get in touch with us at greatermanchester@princes-trust.org.uk.