Chamber Welcomes New Skills White Paper

Embargoed until 00:01 on 21st January

Following the release today of the government's long awaited Skills for Jobs White Paper Chris Fletcher, Director of Policy at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: “Our members and ourselves welcome the release today of the Skills for Jobs White Paper and its ambition to put the skills needs of business right at the centre of Further Education.

“Chambers of Commerce have a track record of working closely with businesses and providers to make sure that the employer's voice is heard. This will become even more important over the coming months and years as business and communities look to rebuild after the massive impact that the Covid -19 pandemic has had. The White Paper builds on existing work and identifies new ways to ensure that qualifications, skills plans and strategies more closely reflect local needs and demands. It is imperative that what gets taught matches what business says it needs and the system must also be flexible enough to respond and adapt to new demands.

“We look forward to continuing to work with all organisations in playing a vital role in making the ambitions of this paper real and making sure that the supply, scope and scale of skills delivery in Greater Manchester matches what business needs now and in the future.”


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About Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce is the largest Chamber of Commerce in the UK, providing business support to approximately 4,500 members who collectively employ 446,000 people, around one-third of Greater Manchester’s workforce. Recognised as a leader in its field, Greater Manchester Chamber’s reputation in government circles has grown locally and nationally. At the heart of the area of greatest economic intensity outside London and the South East, the Chamber is the primary body for business support, policy, representation and networking. The Chamber is an independent, not-for-profit private company and its aim is to support businesses and help create the best climate for the region to prosper. This is achieved by ensuring that those taking decisions on key issues such as transport, taxation and business regulation hear the voice of our members. The representation of our members’ views is central to the work of the policy team at the Chamber; these views are gathered in a range of ways including our local councils, policy committees, sector councils, the main Chamber council, focus groups, meetings with politicians and consultations. The Chamber also offers a range of networking forums across Greater Manchester, free as part of membership, plus a variety of other events and services designed to benefit specific sectors or individuals and help businesses to grow.


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