About Us

GMSA Vision

"To add value through working in partnership."

GMSA Mission

"To increase opportunities particularly in vocational areas for part-time and full-time learners to progress to higher education and succeed."

Strategic aims

Partnership-  Working with providers of higher education and other stakeholders, including employers to provide a co-ordinated approach to vocational higher education.

Provision - Higher education provision that is responsible to workforce development needs and is innovative, flexible and work-based.

Progression - Progression opportunities communicated through excellent Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) to vocational learners, employers and advisors.

The GMSA is running innovative projects focused on creating work-related higher education courses. The goal is to make higher education more relevant to employers and accessible to non-traditional learners.

The projects are designed to forge pathways that learners can follow on their route to higher education, engaging employers and building partnerships that will benefit learners for years to come. The projects are: 

• GMSA Advance – an online tool allowing users to view their bite-sized, flexible learning options. These can be joined-up to create recognised higher education qualifications.

• GMSA Pathways – an online resource laying out the routes into higher education for vocational learners.

Underpinning these products is GMSA’s wider engagement with employers and training providers through Sector Development groups, as well as guidance for those wishing to learn.