Greater Manchester is attempting to build a more joined-up technical education system connecting schools, colleges, employers and young people to the skills and jobs needed in the region. We report on how construction is already providing a practical test of the approach
With Andy Burnham setting out his plans for technical education for the UK, the nation is watching with interest to see the outcomes of the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc), which Burnham launched when he was mayor of Greater Manchester.
The Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) is an employer-connected programme linking what young people learn and the skills they develop to jobs in the local economy.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) wants an integrated technical education system connecting educators and employers. Its 2030 vision is for every young person to have a clear pathway to good jobs and training.
Construction and the Green Economy is one of seven MBacc gateways. Its pathway maps routes from school subjects through technical qualifications, T Levels, apprenticeships and higher technical education into occupations from skilled trades to quantity surveying, civil engineering and sustainability.
From careers advice to a pathway
Careers engagement can be episodic: a school talk, fair or site visit that gives information without showing what to do next.
The MBacc aims to connect those encounters to a wider pathway. GMCA’s Employer Integration Board brings businesses into programme development, aligning education and training more closely with employers’ skills needs.
For construction, that means helping young people understand not simply that they could “work in construction”, but the range of routes and occupations available.
Live projects introduce students to the range of professionals working together and show how different career routes contribute
to one project.
GMI: putting the model into practice
GMI Construction Group provides an example of how the MBacc’s employer element is working on the ground.
Already running a schools and community engagement programme, GMI agreed after GMCA’s April 2026 approach to provide workplace experiences for 150 students between April and July.
Around 10 to 12 school visits followed, combining site tours with sessions on construction careers.
The programme helped GMI reach schools it might otherwise have struggled to engage, including all-girls and special educational needs schools. At its Fountain Street project in Manchester, 12 pupils from Fairfield High School for Girls visited a live site and explored roles from project management and quantity surveying to skilled trades and apprenticeships.
GMI regional director for the North West Phillip Johnson says the value is letting young people experience construction first-hand.
“The most effective way to change perceptions of construction is to let young people experience it for themselves. A live project reveals the breadth of people, skills and careers behind what we build.”
Some schools have returned for advice, creating opportunities to promote apprenticeships.
GMI is not claiming the visits have yet translated directly into apprentices or employees. The longer-term question is whether those relationships lead to qualifications, apprenticeships and jobs.
James Bruce, GMI’s senior responsible business partner, who was closely involved in the school engagements, says: “It’s a structured programme that makes companies more responsible for what they’re actually doing. It’s too early to say it’s going to solve skills shortages, but it is opening young people’s minds to different careers. The more employers that get involved, the more chance we have of building that talent pipeline.”
Building the pipeline
The wider ambition is to develop the workforce Greater Manchester needs for its housing and sustainability goals.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig says: “I want us to lead the way with building new, green homes and retrofitting older properties to improve energy efficiency and help bring down bills. To do that, we need a skilled workforce, equipped for the future.
“Construction and the green economy have a huge role to play in Greater Manchester, helping us build the homes people need, providing good jobs and making our city region greener.
“Our Construction and the Green Economy MBacc gateway is about building the talent pipeline for that future. We want young people to see the opportunities on their doorstep and have a clear route into them. By bringing schools, colleges and employers together, we can give young people the skills they need to get on, while helping industry find the talent they need to grow.”
T Levels combine classroom learning with industry placements. Employers have pledged more than 1,000 additional placements across Greater Manchester.
GMCA’s Year 2 report says 1,405 young people have accessed workplace experiences, while more than 3,500 experiences have been developed through its Modern Work Experience programme. The authority says the MBacc is becoming more connected, with employers represented on its Employer Integration Board.
For construction, that means moving beyond getting young people onto sites towards creating visible routes through the sector.
GMI’s experience suggests employers are willing to play their part. The challenge is turning individual encounters into a joined-up pipeline.
If the MBacc makes the route from classroom to construction career clearer, it could offer a model for regional technical education shaped around young people’s aspirations and employers’ workforce needs.
