Greater Manchester and Raspberry Pi Foundation to create first-of-its-kind computing qualification

Greater Manchester has partnered with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to develop a unique new qualification to help young people acquire essential digital skills and prepare them for a career in the technology sector.

The Greater Manchester Business Board and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) have teamed up with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to design a first-of-its-kind Applied Computing qualification, which will be made available to secondary school pupils through the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate – known as the MBacc.

The MBacc is Greater Manchester’s plan to transform technical education across the city-region. Co-designed by education leaders, employers and businesses, the MBacc will provide young people with a clear pathway from school to high-quality jobs in Greater Manchester’s growing economy.

The Applied Computing qualification will offer pupils on the MBacc route a tailored, accessible learning experience, setting them up with digital skills for the workplace. Designed to be suitable for independent study, the qualification will align to the knowledge and skills appropriate to each stage of the MBacc as young people progress – from providing fundamental digital skills, all the way through to preparing for a career in the digital and tech sector.

Raspberry Pi is known for making low-cost, credit-card sized computers that can help young people develop their coding skills. The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a charity with the mission to enable young people to realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “The support and interest we have received since launching the MBacc shows that industry partners share our view that the technical education system in this country needs to be rewired. The Raspberry Pi Foundation does fantastic work teaching young people about computing and how to create using digital technologies, and we look forward to working with them to drive forward our technical education ambitions. This qualification offers knowledge and skills that have genuine application in the workplace.

“Our digital and technology sector is one of Greater Manchester’s biggest strengths and is rapidly growing. To sustain that growth, we need to ensure there is a clear pathway to a career in the sector for any young person who has that ambition.” 

Chair of the Greater Manchester Business Board, Lou Cordwell, said: “Our ambition to make Greater Manchester the UK’s leading technical education city-region will help us to shape a skilled workforce that will meet business needs and accelerate our future growth.

“Working with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to deliver this unique applied computing qualification will give our region’s young people the skills and knowledge they need to access opportunities in our growing digital economy, making it more accessible to everyone.

“This qualification is another example of public and private sectors partnering with each other for mutual benefit – the type of collaboration that has become one of Greater Manchester’s distinctive strengths. We’ll be redoubling our efforts to build and strengthen these partnerships as we look to drive economic growth. The qualification will secure future success for us while also opening doors for the next generation of Greater Manchester’s workforce. We hope this is the first of many digital qualifications that we can deliver alongside the private sector to show Greater Manchester is leading the way when it comes to technical education.”

Chief Executive of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Philip Colligan, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and businesses in the region to develop the Raspberry Pi Certificate in Applied Computing.  This qualification will give all young people in Manchester, including those who may not be in formal education, the chance to develop the skills and confidence to pursue a career in tech.”

Greater Manchester Lead for Technical Education and Skills, Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, said: “We know there is massive demand for talent in the digital and tech sector and our skills system needs to respond accordingly. At the same time, our young people should feel like the opportunities in the exciting and growing parts of our economy are within reach as they progress through their education and prepare for the world of work. This partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation is an example of how the MBacc enables Greater Manchester to provide this pathway, using the organisation’s insights and expertise to offer skills that will help young people get on in the sector.”

Greater Manchester is home to a £5bn digital ecosystem and Manchester has been named as the UK’s top regional tech city, with over 10,000 digital and tech businesses, from SMEs to global brands. The city-region has the infrastructure and digital ecosystem in place to support growing sectors and has particular strengths in cybersecurity, e-commerce, gaming, AI and digital arts.

The new qualification will help young people who don’t take the traditional academic route to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to thrive in one of the city-region’s fastest-growing sectors.

The MBacc has been designed with employers across Greater Manchester to provide an alternative route to high-quality jobs for young people through technical education rather than the academic route. It has been split into seven gateways, each linked to a growing sector in Greater Manchester – Construction and the Green Economy; Creative, Culture and Sport; Digital and Technology; Education and Early Years; Engineering and Manufacturing; Financial and Professional; and Health and Social Care.

The Applied Computing qualification will support the Digital and Technology pathway.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Raspberry Pi Foundation will develop the offer further from the beginning of September. For updates and further information about the MBacc, visit the Greater Manchester Combined Authority website.

Article Published: 02/08/2024 11:02 AM