Joining Greater Manchester Digital - let’s keep people at the heart of what we do

By Cllr Nick Peel, lead for the ‘Digital City-Region’ portfolio, Greater Manchester Combined Authority

13th June 2023

As a result of the local elections in May, I was appointed as leader of Bolton Council, with it I am delighted to be stepping into the role of Greater Manchester Combined Authority Lead for the ‘Digital City-Region’ portfolio with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

One I am particularly keen on is ‘empowering our people and communities’, ensuring that no one is left behind. We already have a fantastic number of initiatives helping people to get online and build their digital skills – initiatives like the Greater Manchester Databank which has supported over 21,000 residents with mobile data so that they can access online services, find employment and connect online socially.

It’s important we remember that it’s not just about affordability when it comes to accessing technology and digital connectivity, but also the skills and knowledge needed to use it. Most of us use tech every day and don’t think twice when picking up smartphone, tablet or laptop. But for some it can be a daunting and confusing task, so it’s great to see so many device drop-in sessions running across Greater Manchester supporting people, regardless of their age, situation or the area they live in, with learning the basics like searching the web or video calling a friend – and how to do it all safely.

When we talk about putting people at the heart of what we do in Greater Manchester, we can’t forget about investment, investing in our people and their futures. I’m joining the digital team at an exciting time - inward investment into local tech firms has increased by more than one thousand percent annually since 2017 and over 69,000 digital and tech roles advertised online last year - more than in any other sector! We’re seeing more organisations move to Greater Manchester, recognising the region as the place to be for working in digital and tech, bringing opportunities for all – those already working in the sector and those looking to pursue a new career, from beginning their digital journey, to apprenticeships, career changers and upskilling.

This kind of investment also brings about the chance for collaboration, and it’s great to see partnerships being made and from it some truly innovative work taking place across the city-region to help residents live healthier and happier lives. One example is the Local Full Fibre Network programme, where GMCA and partners, worked with Virgin Media O2 Business on the biggest government full-fibre investment in the UK and have seen fibre optic broadband delivered across the region. Keeping people at its heart, the programme was delivered with 78% of the workforce based in Greater Manchester, included over 38 apprenticeships including field technicians and fibre engineers, and offered connectivity, free for five years to 21 community sites across the region.

There’s already been so much achieved in Greater Manchester when it comes to its digital as a result of keeping people at the heart of what we do, and with the newly launched Greater Manchester Digital Blueprint 2023-26 setting out plans for the next three years, I’m looking forward to picking the work up and seeing it continue - for a fairer, greener and more prosperous digital city-region.