Andy Burnham has pledged to raise the aspirations of young people across Greater Manchester by securing investment which promises a significant increase in employment.
The metro mayor shared the news while at Rayner Stephen’s High School in Hyde to launch Beeline – a digital tool offering teenagers practical support in choosing their path to work.
Burnham said: “I was in New York to persuade a global player to invest in Manchester and work toward a thousand employees in Greater Manchester following the Bank of New York path – and it went positively.
“They are coming to Manchester because they are interested in accessing talent not on the university route.”
The latest expansion of Burnham’s MBacc plan is committed to preparing pupils for careers requiring technical skills, and he intends to bring the relevant employers to the region.
Burnham said: “Kids who want technical qualifications and work have been fending for themselves.
“And I’m on a mission to change that.”
But Burnham is aware there are areas for improvement.
When addressing Beeline’s accessibility for users with additional needs he said: “In two or three years I hope Beeline will have a box for supported opportunities.
“We’re not there yet but that will start to raise aspirations for young people who need additional support – it would be phenomenal if we could make that real.”
And the response from Beeline’s demographic has been overwhelmingly positive.
A pupil putting Beeline through its paces, Electina, said: “I don’t think there are words in the dictionary to explain how useful this is.”
While another, Denzel, said: “I wasn’t planning on going to university so this opens a door for me.”
The Manchester mayor’s outlook for the opportunities his joint enterprise of Beeline and wider investment can bring is hopeful.
He said: “The benefits to our society and economy will be incalculable.
“Of all the things I’ve done as mayor, few have made me as happy as this.”
All images by Char L Reck
