Factory Academy Impact Report

Factory Academy launched in 2018 to deliver training for people looking to start new careers with the aim of diversifying the workforce in the creative and cultural industries.

The Factory Academy Impact Report highlights the Academy’s growing impact in building a more diverse and inclusive workforce across Greater Manchester. More trainees than ever have moved into paid work, and the highest proportion yet are from underrepresented backgrounds.

Key figures in the 2024/2025 impact report include:

• Over 1000 Greater Manchester residents took part in Factory Academy activity in the past year – including workshops, college enrichment programmes, one-to-one mentoring, skills sharing, networking events and full training programmes.
• 245 Greater Manchester residents completed core Factory Academy courses, with 63% (155 trainees) moving into paid work – the highest employment rate to date.
  
• 94% of trainees declared a characteristic underrepresented in the industry such as ethnicity, disability, socio-economic background or education – the highest proportion to date.

Image: Beau Fildes