Burnham: My vision to fill the skills gap

GREATER Manchester mayor Andy Burnham wants to take control of post16 education in the region so a skills shortage can be met.

- ROB PARSONS

It comes as former government minister Lord David Sainsbury told an audience at the Museum of Science and Industry that the UK turns out around 50 per cent more hairdressers than it actually needs - while a lack of skilled workers in the technical areas prized by industry is putting off big companies from investing in cities like Manchester.

There are some 11,500 job vacancies in digital jobs across Greater Manchester and 54pc of employers across the region cannot fill their job vacancies.

Mr Burnham revealed that in his upcoming talks with Tory Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove he would be making a play for his mayoral authority and not Whitehall to decide what students at Greater Manchester's colleges and sixth forms are encouraged to study and what gets funding.