Get On North West Award Celebration Event
19 December 2007 saw the first Celebration Event of the Get On North West Award where four authorities - Blackpool, Carlisle, Merseytravel and Wirral - received their awards for meeting the standards. The event was a real celebration and, to add to the occasion, the AGMA authorities also signed up to the GO Award and Skills Pledge, together with Carlisle and Wirral.
Lord Peter Smith, Leader of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) said:
“This commitment is more than a public service pledge, but a representation of our collective role as large employers to up-skill Manchester’s population for the benefit of the wider economy. Greater Manchester is coming of age, we want to take our place as a world class city and have solid plans to achieve this. Our Multi-Area Agreement package, being submitted to Government, puts skills and economic development in the forefront. Our intention to be one of the first City Regions is to provide us with the levers to add value by removing constraints and promoting wellbeing for the sub-region’s citizens. I would like to thank both the Learning and Skills Council and the North West Employers’ Organisation for assisting and adding value to this task, and wish you all well in celebrating our commitment to providing a strong, well equipped workforce for the future.”
Of the GO Award, Paul Holme, Regional Director of Skills LSC North West said:
“Improving the skills of the public sector workforce is one of the LSC’s top priorities, not least because it employs a quarter of the UK’s workforce. This award is for those local authorities that have recognised the important part that Skills for Life plays within their workforce development strategies. We hope it will also encourage other employers to follow their example and embed Skills for Life into their organisations in a sustainable way.”
Liz McQue Chief Executive, North West Employers said of the Skills Pledge:
“We now have 13 authorities that have signed the Skills Pledge and it is a real symbol that the North West as a region is making a commitment to improving the skills and economy of the region. The Celebration Event is not just about awards, it is about changing the lives of people who live and work in the North West.”
Celebration PhotographsNeil Scales, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel said:
“I’m delighted for our staff and everyone who has been involved in our Skills for Life programme. They deserve to be recognised for the work they have put in. The programme we have put in place has directly benefited both our staff and our organisation.
“Hundreds of our staff have seized the opportunity to improve their literacy and numeracy skills, and that is a fantastic success story.
"Staff feel more confident and valued at work because of the investment we are making in them and there has been an increase in motivation and morale.
“What we’ve set about doing is breeding a culture and that’s why Merseylearn is a key element to everything we do. Giving our people the platform to realise their potential and the resources to support them, plus their own personal drive and commitment, they can achieve what they want to achieve in our organisation.”
Council leader Alan Taylor, Rochdale MBC said
: "We are determined to raise skills levels within the borough, and this commitment shows that the council is serious about changing things - by starting with our own staff. We think it will mean more motivated, confident employees, and it will have a positive impact on the work we do within the borough.
"We're delighted to be signing up to this - I have been really impressed with what I've heard about it. It's a new way of doing things and will give our entire workforce an excellent opportunity to develop."
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Skills for Life