New digital tool launched to help young people make a Beeline to careers in growth sectors

A new digital tool, Beeline, has launched to help provide Greater Manchester’s young people with guidance towards careers in key growth sectors in the city-region.

Unveiled by Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, at Rayner Stephens High School in Tameside on 20th September, Beeline will be accessible via the Greater Manchester Apprenticeships and Careers Service (GMACS) website and is among the resources being developed to support the new Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) education pathway.  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 gives 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“For too long, young people who want to pursue a technical education have been held back by poor, outdated careers advice.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.“

Young people have already started exploring Beeline, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

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. Now I’m looking at the MBacc gateway for Business and Professional Services as I’d like to become a corporate solicitor or a finance director and I’m interested in doing a degree apprenticeship.” 

The creation of Beeline is part of a broader ambition for Greater Manchester to use its devolved power and funding to pioneer a new approach to technical education. With the MBacc and Beeline, the city region is leading efforts to shape technical education so it meets the needs of local employers and boosts Greater Manchester’s economic growth. 

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.

Greater Manchester Lead for Technical Education and Skills, Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, added:

“Beeline is a major step forward in making careers advice more relevant and more accessible. By showing young people the real jobs that exist right here in Greater Manchester, as well as the qualifications and routes through education they can take to get there, we’re giving them confidence in their future. This is about ensuring every young person, regardless of the route they take, has the tools they need to succeed.”