1. Deliver high-quality skills provision

Provide a strong local curriculum that meets current and future business needs, supports inward investment and creates clear routes into training and employment.

2. Help businesses develop their workforce

Support businesses to upskill staff, identify future skills needs and use apprenticeships and other training opportunities to improve productivity and sustainable growth.

3. Support people in low-paid or insecure work

Provide high-quality training and tailored support so people can improve their skills, career prospects and economic outcomes.

4. Make sure nobody is left behind

Raise aspirations and strengthen routes into employment, education and skills development, particularly for vulnerable young people and adults.

5. Improve careers information and advice

Help young people and adults understand opportunities in emerging growth sectors, including Atom Valley, and identify clear routes for career progression.

These pledges explain what we propose to do under each priority. We want to know if they are the right commitments for Rochdale. 

Priority 1 – Deliver high-quality skills provision 

• Provide courses that create clear routes into formal training and apprenticeships for 16–18-year-olds and adults. 

• Maintain a strong vocational offer for 16–18-year-olds, aligned to growth sectors, including Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering and Materials. 

• Support the delivery of the MBACC and further development of T Levels and Apprenticeships. 

• Give unemployed adults access to high-quality Level 1–3 training linked to frontier sectors, with support to progress into further training or work. 

• Strengthen collaboration between employers, the FE College and training providers to identify skills gaps and shape the curriculum. 

• Ensure local employers play an active role in shaping the Local Skills Improvement Plan. 

Priority 2 – Help businesses develop their workforce 

• Consistently promote up-to-date workforce training to local businesses. 

• Highlight accredited and non-accredited training through business networks and communication channels. 

• Work closely with small and medium-sized businesses to identify current and future skills needs and promote the benefits of upskilling. 

• Promote apprenticeships and upcoming reforms so new and existing staff can benefit. 

• Increase the number of 16–18-year-olds starting Apprenticeships, including Foundation Apprenticeships. 

Priority 3 – Support people in low-paid or insecure work 

• Help people in low-skilled or low-paid employment improve their economic prospects and progress in their careers. 

• Engage with workers and promote available support, focusing on sectors where insecure employment is more common. 

• Expand evening training so employed people can improve their skills. 

• Work with Jobcentre Plus to promote support for people in work who receive Universal Credit. 

• Support people from racially disadvantaged communities who face progression barriers because of limited English. 

Priority 4 – Make sure nobody is left behind 

• Reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training, including those with care experience, special educational needs or Education, Health and Care Plans. 

• Expand internships and clear routes into mainstream employment for young people from priority groups, including opportunities within the Council. 

• Develop more entry-level and foundation routes into apprenticeships for vulnerable young people. 

• Help more young people leave education with the skills and knowledge needed for life and work. 

• Make Learning and Skills part of the Live Well Journey to Employment, with local entry-level learning and tailored support. 

• Raise skills levels among adults with no qualifications and expand face-to-face learning in Live Well spaces and community venues. 

• Expand English for Speakers of Other Languages provision so people can make better use of their skills and potential. 

• Use increased locally devolved funding to shape and commission training around local needs. 

Priority 5 – Improve careers information and advice 

• Give young people from all backgrounds access to high-quality careers advice and a clear understanding of available opportunities. 

• Use Investment Zone funding to raise awareness of careers in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials among students, tutors, careers advisers and parents. 

• Connect industry experts with schools to explain careers in key sectors. 

• Use the all-age Careers Strategy to give adults quality careers advice and support to undertake relevant training. 

• Keep schools and the Sixth Form College informed about regeneration and inward investment opportunities, particularly those linked to the Mayoral Development Zone.