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 on Friday, 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Andy Burnham, said: “For too long, young people who want to pursue a technical education have been held back by poor, outdated careers advice.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.”
The way Beeline was built reflects Greater Manchester’s strong links with local employers. The global creative company WPP provided the technical expertise needed to develop the tool, offering their time for free. WPP also sit on GMCA’s Employer Integration Board, which has helped shape the MBacc along with local education leaders and young people.
This collaboration underscores Greater Manchester’s commitment to working with industry to shape the future of technical education and ensure young people are connected to the opportunities within the city region. Workplace experience is also built into the MBacc thanks to a partnership with the Careers and Enterprise company.
Headteacher Martin Davies from Rayner Stephens High School said: “I am incredibly proud that Rayner Stephens High School has been able to play a key role in the development and support of the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate. At Rayner Stephens we have a commitment to ensuring students gain the skills and knowledge needed for modern careers. I am proud of our involvement in helping to shape a brighter future for education in Greater Manchester and the students of Stamford Park Trust.”
Young people have already started exploring Beeline, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Student Electina Fernando, a Year 11 student, said: “I was so amazed by Beeline, I’ve been going on about it to my friends all day. Words can’t express what a difference it has made. Before I used this tool, I did not know how to get information about career paths – it felt very disorganised. I love that there is lots of useful data. I can see the job definition, the salary, specific job locations and how much demand there is for this kind of role.”
For schools and colleges interested in integrating Beeline into their career guidance programmes visit: https://gmacs.co.uk/beeline/
