People in Greater Manchester still facing 'gap in opportunity' for jobs, minister admits

People in Greater Manchester are still facing a "gap in opportunity" for jobs compared to other parts of the UK, a minister has said.

Conservative Mims Davies, minister for social mobility, youth and progression, called on businesses to be "more prepared" to take people on and help to reduce the problem.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) minister made the comments during a visit to the Lowry in Salford on November 2, where she met young people who were employed through the Kickstart scheme.

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Ms Davies told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "In terms of where you live, the opportunities are different. What your background is or postcode shouldn't stop you from finding the right opportunities.

"If you're in Greater Manchester or my part of the world, there shouldn't be that gap in opportunity.

"That's why making sure that employers don't discriminate, that they see that the talent is under their noses - but they might have to be more prepared to give that helping hand."

During the visit, Ms Davies met young people who benefited from the Government's Kickstart scheme and landed full-time jobs at the Lowry.

This included Alex Rose, 24, who shared how he was able to get a job as a technician through the scheme after university. Another success story came from Menna Collins, 25, who is now a social media executive at the Lowry after coming through the programme.

Kickstart was initially set up to create new jobs for people aged 16 to 24 during the pandemic, but its funding ended in January.

Ms Davies said that many employers in the region are caring and positive towards getting young people