Greater Manchester Mayor Recognises Key Role of REC Members

“You’re critical to everything we want to achieve in Manchester.” This was the view of the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, speaking to REC members at our roundtable event last week. 

There are just under 300 REC members in the Greater Manchester area, covering a wide range of key sectors. With increasing powers being devolved to combined authorities, including the adult education budget from autumn this year, it is more important than ever to ensure a strong regional voice for our industry on skills and jobs. The roundtable with Andy Burnham was just of several REC meetings and events in the North West and follows our recent series of regional Brexit workshops and IR35 briefings. 

What is the Mayor’s vision for jobs and skills in the North West? The Greater Manchester Local Industrial Strategy outlines ambitious plans for the city and for a prosperous, productive regional economy. In order to achieve this goal, an effective employment and skills system is essential; recruiters in the region have a pivotal role to play in ensuring that people can reach their potential and employers can access the skills they need to grow. 

Driving good employment practices is also a central part of Mayor’s strategy, with the Combined Authority about to launch the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter Supporters’ Network. The charter makes specific reference to the importance of ‘excellent recruitment practices’ which was good to hear. The core aim of the REC Good Recruitment Campaign is to lead the way on best practice hiring and one of our four campaign themes is to demonstrate that brilliant recruitment is at the heart of economic growth. Having influential political figures like Andy Burnham support this message is good step forward. 

The Mayor also recognised at the meeting that his plans for the city region are dependent on attracting people to live and work in Manchester. An economic plan can only succeed if you work in partnership with those who recruit people and who understand where the candidate and skill shortages are in the local economy. 

We believe that this will be the start of a successful partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. If you are based in Manchester, please attend the launch of the charter on 22 July – details are online here. The REC will continue to engage with the GMCA and other combined authorities in order to demonstrate the important role our members play in driving successful local economies.