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 speak with a member of staff at your organisation who has been involved in the development and delivery of the Bootcamps. BMG will also be distributing a survey.
What will the evaluation mean for my organisation/ me?
The research interview lasts 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. 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 will only be used for the purposes of completing interviews.
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
Research privacy notice
The Institute for Employment Studies (IES) on behalf of Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) will collect and process data from you about your job role and your organisation. This will include information in the form of written notes and audio-recordings collected during interviews and any documentary evidence you pass to us.
This information will only be used and shared with GMCA for the purpose of this research project. IES, BMG Research, and the Learning and Work Institute will hold the data on our secure systems for the duration of the project until our contract with GMCA ceases. No longer than 6 months after the end of the project the data will be securely destroyed.
We will not name any of the organisations we speak to or use the names of individuals or specific job titles when we report the findings from the research. Instead we will use generic titles in order to protect identities.
For further information on IES’s, BMG’s and the Learning and Work Institute’s privacy policies please use these links:
IES Privacy Policy: https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/about-website/privacy-policy
BMG Respondent Privacy Notice - BMG Research: https://www.bmgresearch.co.uk/privacy/
Learning and Work Institute Privacy Policy: https://learningandwork.org.uk/privacy-policy/