Greater Manchester supports women launching careers in male dominated industries

Groundbreaking training programmes in Greater Manchester are supporting women to launch careers in a range of male dominated industries, while also assisting the city-region to #EmbraceEquity.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) Skills for Growth and Skills Bootcamps programmes have been designed to remove barriers and assist people living or working in the city-region with employment opportunities, regardless of their background or gender.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #EmbraceEquity and women who are making waves in male dominated fields, as well as the city-region’s leaders and business leaders, are encouraging others to explore training opportunities, develop job prospects and find their passions in industries they may not have previously considered.

Skills for Growth, a three-year-programme funded by the European Social Fund, supports businesses to increase skills levels of employees, while Skills Bootcamps, funded by the Department of Education, supports employers to bring in new individuals, upskill existing staff and help self-employed people to gain new work.

The Skills for Growth programme has so far supported and upskilled 3,200 women in the Greater Manchester area, who make up 50.6 per cent of total participants on the courses.

So far on Bootcamps courses nearly 40 per cent of learners are women, and GMCA continue to do more to increase uptake of women to ensure they do not miss out on opportunities to develop their careers with further commissioning and delivery to continue until 2025.

Business owner Penelope Silver, 47, from Stockport, recently completed a Skills Bootcamp in Digital Marketing through The Fearless Academy and is now embarking on a new career in tech. After lacking confidence with using programmes such as Excel she has since discovered a new-found love of coding and is encouraging others to progress their careers in the sector.

Penelope said: “I think as a woman and as a single mother I’ve seen and understand the challenges we face on a day-to-day basis. But I think what lies within us in an unstoppable force that can break down any barrier. I think for me in particular, I wanted to show my two daughters just what is possible.”

Business leaders in the city-region are also getting behind the theme of International Women’s Day and are calling on organisations to embrace equity to enhance their workforce. Amy Wild is the Director of Fearless Academy, who have been awarded a commission by GMCA to deliver a Skills Bootcamp in Digital Marketing.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, Greater Manchester’s lead for Education, Work, Skills, Apprenticeships and Digital said: “We want everybody in Greater Manchester to have the same employment opportunities, and gender should not stand in the way of anyone’s career prospects.

“It is also really important for men to be allies and celebrate the valuable contribution women are making to the city-region’s workforce. I urge others in the city-region to become allies, step up, embrace equity and strive for equal workplaces.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily