Young professionals panel informs city-region Covid-19 recovery

A newly formed panel of young professionals will offer their views to Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) into how the city-region can recover economically from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Greater Manchester Young Professionals Panel was established in February to offer insights from young people working in the city-region covering areas including planning, economic development, housing, infrastructure and sustainability. The panel reports to GMCA’s Planning and Housing Commission and its views will be sought to help inform the strategy to’Build Back Better’ after the pandemic.

Panel members have already made recommendations to GMCA including greater engagement with educational institutions, investing in public transport and cycling, increasing digital outreach, and lobbying central government for more devolved powers.

Cllr John Blundell, who has responsibility for regeneration at Rochdale Council, has been appointed to chair the Young Professionals Panel during its inaugural year. Cllr Blundell said:

As a young professional working in the regeneration field, I know that people who are at the start of their career often have a different perspective on things and can bring something extra to the table. The Greater London Authority and National Infrastructure Commission have their own young professional panels, so I thought it would be a great idea to replicate it.

“Although we are an informal group and don’t have decision making powers, we work really well within the GMCA family and provide important feedback and ideas. Coronavirus has brought a whole new perspective to our work, but we want to focus on the opportunities it brings to create a much better future, with improved digital infrastructure, more flexible public transport policy and improved housing, to name a few.”

Paul Dennett, City Mayor of Salford and GMCA portfolio lead for Housing, Homelessness and Infrastructure and chair of GMCA’s Planning and Housing Commission, said:

The Greater Manchester Strategy commits to supporting young people to engage positively in their communities, and I really value their input and insights. I am a strong advocate of co-production and really like how the panel have worked together to structure the recovery plan into three main themes: instilling confidence, people-centric recovery, and forward thinking.

“The report highlights a number of cross cutting issues, priorities and activities to be undertaken in the short medium and longer term. Young professionals with skills in regeneration, planning, place-making, infrastructure are central to the delivery of sustainable development, and it is only through sustainable development that we will deliver our vision to make Greater Manchester one of the best places in the world to live, work, study and visit.”