YouthPath initiative launched to tackle youth unemployment across Greater Manchester

  • YouthPath partnership launches between Greater Manchester Combined Authority and national charity Movement to Work.
  • Offers 16 to 30-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training the chance to upskill, earn or learn.
  • Builds on Greater Manchester’s ambition to ensure that every young person has a clear line of sight into a good job.
  • Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and Transport for Greater Manchester are the first employers to pledge their support.
  • Greater Manchester is the third region to launch the YouthPath initiative
Image: From left to right, Caroline Simpson, Group Chief Executive for GMCA, GMFRS and TfGM, and Mallicka Mandal, Director of People Services for GMCA and GMFRS, captured during the MOU signing that marked the launch with key GMCA leaders.

Greater Manchester has become the latest region to join YouthPath, a national initiative from charity Movement to Work that connects employers with young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) and helps them move into work, training or apprenticeships.  

YouthPath supports employers across the city region to offer high‑quality opportunities for 16–30‑year‑olds who are NEET, including work experience, apprenticeships, internships, traineeships and entry‑level roles. The initiative will help to tackle youth unemployment and close critical skills gaps in Greater Manchester. 

In Greater Manchester, around 4,000 young people aged 16–17 are not in education, employment or training. The YouthPath initiative is part of our ambition to ensure that every young person has a clear line of sight into a good job in the city region.

YouthPath launches as Greater Manchester sets out its plan to reindustrialise the region, focusing on five global growth sectors. By supporting young people who are currently out of training, education or work, the initiative will help ensure young people growing up here can benefit from the new opportunities being created across the region and help employers build stronger local talent pipelines.

As part of the launch, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and Transport for Greater Manchester are the first to pledge their support as employers, creating pathways into work and training within Greater Manchester’s public sector.

Caroline Simpson, Group Chief Executive, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and Transport for Greater Manchester, said:

“Our young people who are not in education, employment or training are missing out on the chance to build their skills, confidence and hope for the future. YouthPath will help us change that as part of our whole Greater Manchester system working together to give every young person a clear line of sight to high‑quality jobs and the opportunities our growing economy is creating.

“By bringing employers, local services and the wider system together, YouthPath will open up real pathways, starting in the public sector, that will show our young people what’s possible here. It demonstrates the Greater Manchester Strategy in action – tackling inequalities, strengthening belonging and wellbeing and making sure every young person can thrive and see their future in Greater Manchester.”

Greater Manchester is the third region to launch the YouthPath initiative. Movement to Work has already created more than 225,000 opportunities for young people, with 89% of participants moving on to employment, education or further training.

In the West Midlands, YouthPath is already making a difference to young people facing barriers to work. After a few setbacks, Fathi joined a five‑day YouthPath work‑experience programme with Accenture, which ultimately led to an apprenticeship. 

Fathi said, “The Movement to Work programme helped me build my confidence. Seeing what was on offer and how many young people had already succeeded made me realise I could achieve the same. Now, I’m proud to be doing exactly that as an Accenture Apprentice.”

Sareena Bains, CEO of Movement to Work, said, “Young people across Greater Manchester deserve real opportunities to build their futures. YouthPath shows what can be achieved when employers, local partners and the public sector work together to open doors into work, training and apprenticeships. By supporting businesses to get involved, we can help more young people develop the skills they need while building a more inclusive and future-ready workforce.”

Join the Movement

The launch is just the beginning. Employers across Greater Manchester are now invited to sign up to YouthPath and join a growing coalition committed to tackling youth unemployment. 

Movement to Work provides expert, fully-funded support to help businesses:

  • Develop or strengthen youth employment programmes.
  • Access a diverse, motivated talent pipeline.
  • Make a real impact on their local community.

For more information on how to get involved, visit: https://movementtowork.com/youthpath-greater-manchester-combined-authority

Together, we can unlock opportunity, strengthen communities, and build a brighter future for young people in Greater Manchester.

About Movement to Work: 

Movement to Work (MtW) helps employers deliver high-quality employability opportunities for young people aged 16-30 facing barriers to work. As a registered UK charity, MtW offers fully-funded professional support to businesses interested in tackling youth unemployment.

For over a decade, Movement to Work has helped deliver over 225,000 youth opportunities, including work experience, apprenticeships, sector-based work academy programmes, internships, traineeships, and entry-level roles. These efforts have resulted in positive outcomes for more than 89% of participants, who have gone on to secure further employment, education, or training.

Movement to Work’s Steering Group includes executive leaders from major UK businesses such as Accenture, BAE Systems, Barclays, Diageo, Marriott, M&S, Tesco, Salesforce, and Spirax Group, as well as leaders from the TUC, The CBI, The King’s Trust, and the DWP. MtW’s mission is to help young people gain access to valuable work experiences as a pathway to sustainable employment, and in turn, expose organisations to diverse, untapped talent. For more information visit https://www.movementtowork.com/

About Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Greater Manchester is one of the country’s most successful city regions. Home to more than 3 million people and with an economy bigger than that of Wales or Northern Ireland. Our vision is to make Greater Manchester one of the best places in the world to grow up, get on and grow old. We’re getting there through a combination of economic growth, and the reform of public services.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is made up of the ten Greater Manchester councils and Mayor, who work with other local services, businesses, communities and other partners to improve the city-region.

The ten councils (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan) have worked together voluntarily for many years on issues that affect everyone in the region, like transport, regeneration, and attracting investment.