Greater Manchester Adult Skills Programmes Evaluation

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) oversees Adult Skills Programmes including Adult Education Budget courses and Skills Bootcamps to help individuals gain the skills they need in life and at work.

What is the evaluation?

In 2023, GMCA commissioned the Learning and Work Institute, the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) and BMG Research to carry out an independent evaluation of the GMCA Adult Skills Programmes. IES is leading the evaluation of Skills Bootcamps, which are intensive programmes designed to meet specific employers’ needs and to lead to a guaranteed interview, and Learning and Work are leading the evaluation of the Adult Education Budget courses. BMG is undertaking surveys for the Adult Skills Programme evaluation.

This evaluation will examine the delivery and perceived impact of the Adult Skills Programmes, documenting the shape and nature of the provision, participant groups taking part, and drivers and motivations to involvement. Alongside this it will examine outcomes and for Bootcamps how employer engagement is achieved. The evaluation will provide ideas about how to improve programme delivery in the future, including how the programmes might improve contributions to relevant aims of the Greater Manchester Strategy: Good Lives for All (GMS).

For this stage of the Bootcamps evaluation, we would like to provide learners with an opportunity to give feedback on their Bootcamps training experience and whether this experience has helped them. BMG will also be distributing a survey.

What will the evaluation mean for my organisation/ me?

IES is leading interviews with providers as well as focus groups and interviews with learners. BMG is leading a learner survey. The research interviews and focus groups will last up to one hour and will ask questions about development and delivery of the Bootcamps, what’s worked well and areas for improvement and lessons learned. The interviews will take place via telephone, and we will aim to schedule focus groups to take place on provider premises during planned learner hours. If you are taking part in a survey, it will take approximately 15 minutes.

Why should I take part in the research?

The current Bootcamps are testing approaches for delivering short, flexible training programmes to re-skill and upskill employees to meet employer needs. Your contribution in the research will help us to assess the impact and effectiveness of the Bootcamps as well as inform and improve GMCA’s ongoing provision.

What about data protection?

GMCA is the data controller for the evaluation. They will share contact details for key staff at providers and delivery partner organisations with the evaluation team. Contact details of key staff will only be used for the purposes of arranging visits to Bootcamp courses. Training providers will invite learners to take part in the evaluation on the behalf of IES.

Participation in all research activities is entirely voluntary. Interviewees/survey respondents will be fully briefed on the purposes of the study and how the information they provide will be used before consenting to take part.

We operate fully in-line with data protection legislation (including GDPR) and we will not use the information we receive for anything other than this research.

Who can I talk to about the evaluation?

If you have any queries about the study, your primary contact will be the IES Research Manager, Alexandra Nancarrow.

For further information please contact

Alexandra Nancarrow, Research Manager, The Institute for Employment Studies  Tel: 01273 763479 Email: alexandra.nancarrow@employment-studies.co.uk

Elaine Mottershead, Strategy & Partnership Manager, Greater Manchester Combined Authority Tel: 07979 708344 Email: Elaine.Mottershead@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk