Employers' Forum

Our Employers' Forum plays a crucial role in shaping our strategic goals in relation to the digital talent and skills agenda. 

Members meet three times a year to offer input on key policy matters. By applying our collective experience to the issues highlighted by the industry, we come up with better solutions and can take more impactful and sustainable action. 

The remit of the Forum 

• To develop a strategic plan for engaging with talent at a young age and building meaningful skills programmes to link industry and education. 
• Identifying key issues arising from the Digital Skills Audit for action/lobbying.
• Sharing best practice about matters such as employee benefits, flexible working, employee engagement, staff retention and employment policy.
• Sharing data and benchmarking on pertinent HR issues such as policies, remuneration trends, maternity and paternity leave and pay.
• Recruitment and employer brand e.g. How to build talent acquisition capability.
• Employee development: Where are the best learning providers and how do we deliver skills in an agile way?
• How to scale up a business from a people perspective and manage the transition between growth stages.

Example outputs

• Manchester Digital Software Developer Apprenticeship 
• HR-focused mentoring within the sector community
• Benchmarking data - local market and skills
• Build/facilitate links with education
• Diversity Toolkit
• #RelocateMCR Campaign 

Benefits of participation

• Access to shared data
• Networking with other HR and talent acquisition professionals
• Opportunity to contribute to the sector community in a meaningful and relevant way 
• Input to Manchester Digital policy

Commitment needed to join the Forum 

• Be prepared to be an active participant
• Must be involved in the employment or development of staff
• Contribute expertise and experience
• Attend three meetings per year
• Take ownership of actions
• Contribute policy, practice and pay information to benchmark initiatives
• Share best practice and data 
• Get feedback on priorities
• Recruit people to support the priority work streams and action

Interested in joining the Forum and shaping the digital industry in our region?