The £3m fund opens for applications on 25 June 2019 in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority area. Consortia of employers and training providers (including colleges and universities) can bid for between £50,000 and £180,000 to run innovative digital training schemes linked to skills shortage vacancies.

We are particularly looking for innovative creative projects that:

• Design training that addresses industry digital skills shortages aligned with the GM Local Industrial Strategy; which prioritises; cyber security, broadcasting, content creation and media, software development, digital telecoms, fintech and e-commerce.
• Test flexible delivery models to ensure a range of people are able to access training; supporting career progression and diversifying the digital talent pipeline.
• Test new partnerships between employers and training providers (including colleges and universities) that show the potential for longer-term sustainability and scalability.

What you should do now:

• Employers and training providers should read the fund prospectus and start to consider what they would like to gain from the fund and what they can offer.
• Register to attend the launch event on Tuesday 25^th June where we will provide further help to facilitate the building of consortia: https://fasttrackfundgm.eventbrite.co.uk

For queries about the fund please email: FastTrackDigital@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk