Theme 4: Supporting pathways to work

The Recommendations

Recommendation 7:
Better communication of the social sector skills offer: skills development is central to achieving economic growth, and is a key area of social sector activity with a third of organisations working in the area. To support and promote the work of its sector, Macc and local social sector skills networks could further consider how the sector can more clearly communicate their offer to partners such as colleges and private sector providers, and how the work of the sector in Manchester links to the wider skills agenda.

Recommendation 8:
Develop capacity and capability for community outreach: funding options could be explored in order to further support and build capacity and capability within the sector to be able to reach more people who are currently excluded from the labour market and are not served by mainstream provision.

Recommendation 9:
Accelerate local investment in employees: there is a need for infrastructure organisations (the social sector could take a lead in this) and policy makers to work together and communicate/lobby employers and networks around the need for investing in people through both paying a decent wage, but also through training which will allow them to move up the ‘skills escalator’.

What’s currently happening

• Macc has written a paper on the issues for the voluntary and community sector in adopting the Living Wage. Click on the link below to download. This was submitted to Manchester City Council Living Wage Task & Finish Group in November 2014.
• The Council Task & Finish Group have now published their final report on Living Wage in Manchester which makes a number of recommendations. You can download a copy below.
• Macc is working to support the involvement of local voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises in offering paid internships and work experience placements through schemes such as "Our Community" and "My Future" and with partners such as the University of Manchester. These are advertised in our e-bulletin when applications are open.