The primary school pupils learning the skills Greater Manchester needs

Printing in three dimensions might sound like magic. But at a pioneering primary school in Bury, pupils as young as seven are learning how to do it.

Companies across Greater Manchester are increasingly using 3D printing, which is why this skill is said to be 'critical' for the next generation. Rachel Ellison, who is the computing lead at St. Joseph and St. Bede R.C. Primary School, said that learning these skills at a young age could be life-changing.

Last year, she signed up for a free 3D printing course, fully funded by Greater Manchester's Skills for Growth programme. "It blew my mind," she recalled.

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Since then, she has set up an afterschool club where children in Year 3 and 4 make key rings and counters using the 3D printers provided by the course. Immediately oversubscribed, Rachel and her colleague Sinead now hope that the skills learnt at the club can be taught as part of the school's curriculum.

"We just want them to be excited to do something and give them the cutting edge to do it well," Rachel explained. "And the children absolutely love it."

Rachel is just one of more than 10,000 people in Greater Manchester who have taken part in these courses which aim to fill skills gap in the local jobs market. Since the programme launched in 2020, 11 training providers have been commissioned to deliver training in skills needed by a range of sectors including digital, construction, manufacturing, logistics and blue light services.

For some, it has meant a move away from the manufacturing sector. Ibraheem Ahmad, 33, from Oldham, completed a digital course called "Get hired as a UX Professional" with Serco and the Coders Guild. This