GM Chamber : Chamber Live Podcast GMCC

This episode of the podcast from the Chamber's Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) team focuses on the skills shortages affecting the electrical trades. We are joined by the chief operating officer at the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA), Andrew Eldred; the operations director at 24-7 Group, Matt Longworth; and the Chamber's deputy director of research, Subrah Krishnan-Harihara.

We discuss some of the main skills shortages affecting businesses in the electrical and technical engineering industries, and, as there is only 1 electrician for every 368 people in Greater Manchester*, we hear about some of the problems and possible solutions to getting more apprentices and skilled individuals into the industry.

Subrah talks about what businesses in Greater Manchester can do if they are affected by skills shortages, and why it's so important to get a dialogue going between employers and skills providers.

Tune in and let us know your thoughts!

You can contact the Chamber's LSIP team via gmlsip@gmchamber.co.uk, and read our published reports on skills shortages here: https://www.gmlsip.co.uk/.

More information about the Electrical Contractors' Association can be found at https://www.eca.co.uk/

To read the ECA's Charter to Recharge Electrical Skills, click here.

Finally, you can find out more about Matt's company and the work they do via https://24-7group.co.uk/.



*Source: Electrical Contractors' Association.

In this episode of the podcast from the Chamber's Local Skills Improvement Plan team, Richard Caulfield, Senior Policy Manager at the Greater Manchester Colleges Group, is back in the hot seat to update us on how the funds from the Local Skills Improvement Fund are being spent, and crucially, when learners will be able to reap the benefits of this.

Richard also tells us about another fund - the Further Education Innovation Fund - and how businesses across Greater Manchester will be able to take advantage of it.

Chris Fletcher, Policy Director at the Chamber, provides further information about the development of the Local Skills Improvement Plan and talks about how businesses can still get involved.

Further information about the GM Local Skills Improvement Plan can be found here: https://www.gmlsip.co.uk/ To contact the team, email gmlsip@gmchamber.co.uk.

For more information about the Local Skills Improvement Fund, visit: https://gmcg.ac.uk/lsif/. And to find out more about the Further Education Innovation Fund, visit: https://gmcg.ac.uk/feif/.

If you'd like to attend the Innovation Roadshow that Richard mentions in this podcast, which is taking place at Wigan & Leigh College on 10th May, you can book your place here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-reality-in-business-cdi-roadshow-wigan-tickets-875897662487

In this podcast, we're joined by Rebecca Durber, NW Area Director & Senior Policy Lead for Skills Reform at the Association of Colleges (AOC).

Rebecca speaks to us off the back of the latest AOC campaign, Colleges Week 2024, where colleges across the region focused on influencing local political representatives, engaging with their stakeholders (including the business community), and celebrating their successes.

As well as highlighting the positive work that colleges do in engaging with businesses in local areas and helping relieve skills shortages, Rebecca gives some useful ways in which businesses can get involved with their local colleges...ask what you can do for your college!

Tune in to find out more.

If you'd like to learn about the AOC and the work it does, visit: https://www.aoc.co.uk/about-us/aoc-regions/aoc-n-w.

For more information about the GM Local Skills Improvement Plan, visit https://www.gmlsip.co.uk/ or contact us via gmlsip@gmchamber.co.uk.

Thanks for listening!

We've teamed up with Manchester Central to host a panel discussion on collaboration, vision & ambitions for growth for Manchester.


Joining us on the panel:


Chris Fletcher
Shaun Hinds
Lou Cordwell OBE
Holly Moore
James Montrose

In this episode, we get to know Pam Shanker.

Pam is an Award Winning Transformational Life and Business Coach, Founder of The Universe Café and Award Winning Property Investor.



Get in touch with Pam here:


Pam Shanker Coachinghttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091893625325

The Universe Café - Manifest Successhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/274786058215293

Property Investors Who Want to Implement https://www.facebook.com/groups/1365542290722656

In this podcast, the GM LSIP team talks to Tracey Wood, Assistant Principal Adult Skills and Employer Engagement at The Trafford and Stockport College Group, about the new 'Leading with Confidence' courses created to bridge skills gaps highlighted in the GM Local Skills Improvement Plan.

Tracey tells us how the courses have been received by employers in the area, and why it's so important for businesses to have their say and engage with local colleges and learning providers.

Tune in to find out more!

Information about the courses run by Stockport and Trafford Colleges can be found here: https://stockport.tscg.ac.uk/ and https://trafford.tscg.ac.uk/

And to find out more about the GM Local Skills Improvement Plan, visit https://www.gmlsip.co.uk/ or contact the team via gmlsip@gmchamber.co.uk.