The Skills Development Service Round Table brought together Greater Manchester’s business leaders, educators and innovators from all organisation sizes to explore how organisations can build a more capable, confident and connected workforce. The conversation highlighted a clear shift: skills development must be collaborative, human-centred and aligned with real business needs.
A New Approach to Learning
Participants emphasised the value of:
- Immersive, partnership-led training, connecting organisations with new opportunities and funding.
- Holistic development, including emotional awareness, communication, confidence and belonging.
- Mixed-age, mixed-ability teams, which strengthen performance and creativity.
- Skills exchange and reverse mentoring, where knowledge flows across generations.
Designing Skills for the Future
The group explored what modern training should look like:
-
AI and data governance
-
Critical and lateral thinking
-
Social mobility and inclusion
-
Communication and cultural awareness
-
Support for disadvantaged groups
-
Agile, business-shaped course design
There was a shared call for simplicity, consistency and outcomes that genuinely matter to employers and their workforce.
Real Business Impact
Examples from participating companies showed strong engagement:
Company 1: 10–12 courses completed across all levels; 4 apprentices.
Company 2: 25% of staff involved; bespoke AI-focused curriculum creation
Company 3: Training to support communication, cultural integration and customer interaction.
Accessing training also helped employees tackle imposter syndrome with successes including increased confidence, adapting to new ways of working and promotion within the business.
For those looking to connect with a mentor or share their experience with others, programmes such as iMentor facilitate these relationships across Greater Manchester.
Barriers and Opportunities
Challenges remain — language barriers, neurodiversity, training commitment, and finding the right learning environments. But these were seen as opportunities to rethink how training is delivered.
Collaboration across businesses, colleges, the voluntary sector and the wider ecosystem will be key to tackling inequality and unlocking Good Growth.
Looking Ahead
The round table closed with a shared belief: skills development is a journey powered by curiosity, confidence and connection. With the right partnerships, a commitment to inclusive growth and continued commissioning of initiatives like the Skills Development Service, Greater Manchester is well positioned to build a workforce ready for the future.
Further details GM Business Growth Hub | Skills Development
Get in touch
Please contact us at 0161 3593050 or query below.
Take that first step and we’ll support you with whatever you need to succeed.
Sign-up to our newsletter
Insights, news, events and opportunities straight to your inbox.