Young people have their say for the future

Young people in Bury are set to help carve out the future at a conference hosted by Greater Manchester Combined Authority, in partnership with Youth Focus North West, staged in Bury Town Hall.

More than 100 youngsters will be attending the event, which takes place on Tuesday 24 October in The Elizabethan Suite, hot on the heels of the launch of the new Greater Manchester Youth Combined Authority at Trafford College last week (Friday 29th September).

Themes of the conference include Curriculum for Life, Transport, Hate Crime and Health.

The new forum will be a gender balanced group made up of 40 individuals aged between 11 and 18 and include members of all 10 existing youth councils as well as representatives from youth groups across the city-region, with members serving a two-year term.

Greater Manchester’s Youth Combined Authority will undertake specific pieces of work, developing real policies for Greater Manchester that will improve the lives of young people, such as coming up with ideas to take forward the Mayor’s plans for a free travel pass, developing it in to a ‘Greater Manchester Opportunity Pass’ that could open up access to leisure, sporting and cultural activities, as well as work placements and apprenticeships. The group will also be asked to advise the Mayor and GMCA on key issues affecting young people and scrutinise the work of Greater Manchester leaders.

Councillor Rishi Shori, GMCA portfolio lead for young people and social cohesion, said: “Our vibrant business sector acknowledge that they don’t have the skills to grow their businesses, and that is about investing in our people, and enthusing people at a young age through our schools and colleges to think about careers in the borough where we have opportunities.

“I want our businesses to invest back into their area and think about encouraging our young people, for instance through embedding entrepreneurship within the curriculum as that is not a skill taught in schools, but a skill our local businesses can directly provide by working in partnership with our schools.

“My vision for Bury is that we provide the foundations to grow talent, by connecting businesses and young people together in a very real way that results in opportunities.”

The Youth Combined Authority will be instrumental in helping drive forward recommendations made in the recently launched Bury Commission on Life Chances report, which includes a range of proposals for Council action, in partnership with local schools, colleges, businesses, the Mayor for Greater Manchester and the Government.

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Young people are at the heart of my plans for Greater Manchester. We have already delivered half-price bus tickets, half-price Metrolink travel for 16 to 18-year olds will start in January next year, and we are under way with plans to ensure quality traineeships and apprenticeships through a UCAS-style application system.

“The new Youth Combined Authority will help us create a city-region that works for all young people. This group can make a real difference by developing new policies that can improve the lives of young people, making Greater Manchester the best place to grow up and get on in life. I want the Youth Combined Authority to go out to Greater Manchester’s young people and tell me how we can improve our city-region, then we will make it happen together.”

Afurther 20 youngsters will be recruited to the new Greater Manchester Youth Combined Authority following the conference and recommendations will be taken forward to help develop policies on Health & Wellbeing, Housing, Hate Crime and Transport.

A handful of tickets are still available – contact Sharon Watts on s.watts@youthfocusnw.org.uk for more information.

The Youth Combined Authority was launched by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham; Trafford Council leader Sean Anstee and Councillor Rishi Shori, GMCA portfolio lead for young people and social cohesion on Friday 29 September at Trafford College.

ENDS

Press release issued: 5 October 2017.