A new digital tool has been launched to give young people in Greater Manchester a clear line of sight to real jobs in the city-region’s growing economy.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, joined school pupils, teachers and apprentices at Rayner Stephens High School in Dukinfield today (Friday 20 September) for a special event to unveil Beeline, which is available now via the Greater Manchester Apprenticeships and Careers Service (GMACS) website.
Named after the worker bee that embodies the Greater Manchester spirit, Beeline is the first of many resources being developed as an open part of the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) – the city region’s pioneering alternative to the university route. Drawing on local labour market data, the MBacc is a technical education route made up of seven “gateways”, each linked to a sector which is growing in the Greater Manchester economy.
Beeline is a ground-breaking tool to give young people real-time information on the jobs available in the MBacc gateways sectors, alongside guidance on the most relevant subjects, courses and qualifications on offer at 14, 16 and 18. The tool links these career suggestions directly to current vacancies through the Adzuna jobs website, along with salary details, helping students understand where a technical education can take them and visualise potential career paths in various sectors.
Recent findings from a national youth census revealed that just over half (55%) of young people are confident they will progress into a good job, while 45% could benefit from additional support. Beeline is designed to bridge this gap, providing young people with a clearer sense of career opportunities and boosting their confidence in their future prospects.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:
“For too long, young people who want to pursue a technical education have been held back by poor, outdated careers advice. With Beeline, we are putting that right. This new tool gives young people a window on the exciting range of jobs available right now here in Greater Manchester.
“Talking to young people as we developed the MBacc, it was clear we needed something to help them visualise the jobs and careers available to them – and, crucially, how much they pay. Beeline is there to help young people as they start planning for their future.
“The Greater Manchester economy is booming – growth and productivity here are higher than the UK average. We want all our young people to share in that success story and Beeline will give them a clear line of sight to the high-quality jobs Greater Manchester has to offer.
“And if their dream job is in a different part of the city region, we won’t let that hold them back. All 16 to 18 years can access free bus travel on the Bee Network by signing up for the Our Pass scheme.”
