Burnham opens Alvarez and Marsal office with strong message on opportunities for all

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told a packed audience of businesses in Manchester last night that his MBacc scheme and a new portal for young people was essential to make the city globally competitive.

Speaking at the opening of the new offices of consulting and advisory firm Alvarez & Marsal at the new Lincoln building, Burnham said:  “Let’s make this the first city where, in helping everybody get on, we give everybody a good life. That’s what Manchester should be a beacon of in the 21st century, and that’s what we’re going to make it.”

He said 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.

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.

Introducing him and noting the significance of the building being named after Abraham Lincoln, A&M’s Jonathan Boyers said: “We’re honoured to be joined by another politician who’s done his bit to put the southerners in their place, Andy Burnham, who’s done so much for Manchester.”

Victoria Price, head of private capital at A&M, who also spoke at the event, said: “On a day of celebration he reminded all of us not to sit in our shiny new office and forget about all the incredible talent in the region that needs a helping hand to access opportunity. He made me feel proud of our city and responsible for supporting the next generation in equal measures

“I’ve made a mental note of a soundbite of his: ‘Economic progress, but not at the expense of social progress’. Sounds like something to strive towards to me.”