Greater Manchester’s growing reputation as a national centre for digital and technology innovation took a major step forward yesterday with the city’s first Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, graduation, delivered in partnership with the Greater Manchester Institute of Technology (GMIoT).
Held at Halle St Peters in the heart of Ancoats, Manchester’s digital neighbourhood, the ceremony saw apprentices, supported through the GMIoT, graduate from Ada’s Manchester-based digital and technology programmes for the first time, representing a major milestone for Ada, GMIoT and its employer partners – and also for the region that will now benefit from this new wave of talent.
In total, 80 apprentices graduated this year, including 70 learners graduating from a three-year Level 6 Digital and Technology Solutions apprenticeship, achieving a BSc degree validated by The Open University.
The cohort spans four specialist pathways:
25 Data Analysts
24 Software Engineers
17 Cyber Security specialists
4 Technology Consultants
The remaining 10 apprentices completed a two-year Level 4 Software Developer apprenticeship, receiving a nationally recognised Level 4 qualification.
While nationally, Ada has been successfully delivering apprenticeships for nearly a decade, this graduation marks the first Ada and GMIoT cohort to complete their training in Manchester.
For Claire Foreman, Director at the Greater Manchester Institute of Technology, the milestone reflects the strength of employer-led education models designed around real skills demand.
“This graduation represents more than a qualification ceremony, it’s evidence that Greater Manchester is building the digital capability it needs for long-term growth,” said Claire.
“These apprentices have trained in areas that employers are actively struggling to recruit for – from cyber security and data to software engineering. They are now entering the regional workforce with real experience, not just theory.”
The timing of the ceremony, held during National Apprenticeship Week, underlined the growing role apprenticeships play in addressing the UK’s digital skills gap.
Delivered through close collaboration between employers, education providers and industry partners, Ada Manchester and GMIoT’s programmes combine academic learning with sustained, on-the-job experience. Apprentices spend the duration of their training embedded within businesses, applying their learning to live projects while earning a salary.
From an employer perspective, the model offers a direct route to developing highly skilled talent aligned to business needs, improving retention, and diversifying access into technology careers.
Geoff Stevenson, Director of Degree Apprenticeships at Ada Manchester, said: “At Ada we’re driven by our mission – to educate and empower the next generation of diverse digital talent. This graduation is a step on that journey.
“We’re celebrating the accomplishments of our apprentices but also celebrating what effective partnerships can achieve. It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work from the apprentices, made possible by our work with their employers, the GMIoT, the city council and combined authority, as well as our wider industry partners and volunteers.
“We couldn’t get to this point by working in isolation – it really shows the value or organisations and individuals rallying around a common goal.”
As Greater Manchester continues to attract digital investment and scale its technology sector, the graduation of Ada Manchester’s latest cohort signals a shift from ambition to delivery, producing work-ready developers, analysts and cyber specialists trained in the city, for the city.
The Greater Manchester Institute of Technology is now encouraging more employers across the region to engage with higher-level digital apprenticeships, helping to shape future cohorts and ensuring training provision keeps pace with industry demand.
