Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham has underlined his commitment to improving opportunities for young people in the region as he opened a new engineering academy in Salford.

At the launch of Academy at Thermatic, Mayor Burnham said that the importance of creating new training facilities could not be understated because they respond to a very current need and contribute to the growth of the regional economy.

The Academy has been created by Thermatic, a national provider of bespoke heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, based at Sovereign Enterprise Park in Salford.

It has been developed in partnership with the Salford Foundation which supports social and academic development of young people and adults in Greater Manchester. Its aim is to help address the growing skills shortage in the engineering sector and to make engineering more appealing and accessible for young people, regardless of gender.

Annually, there is a shortfall of around 59,000 engineering graduates and technicians to fill core engineering roles in a sector which employs 5.5m people, generating revenue of £456bn to the UK economy, 27 per cent of the total UK GDP.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, said: “Facilities such as Thermatic’s are not only providers of knowledge and skills but they are also economic drivers, because they help increase opportunity, improve productivity, reduce wealth inequalities and help meet the need of the communities and region in which they are based.

“My ambition in Greater Manchester is to create an integrated employment and skills eco-system which has the individual and employer at its heart and contributes to the growth of our economy.

“I want to see an employment and skills system where young people will leave education with the attributes they need to succeed. There is a skills shortage in key sectors in this country and it is vital that we work together to equip young people, as well as adults, to bridge that gap, improve their chances, develop a career and help drive the region forward.

“This a huge challenge and one that might only get worse during this time of unprecedented change, so Thermatic’s specialist academy is a wonderful and much needed addition to our education offer.

“It has the capability to encourage young people and those from outside the industry to consider a career in engineering and construction and I am confident that Thermatic’s ambition will be realised and its success will benefit many.”

Thermatic’s hope is also to encourage a new perception of the engineering industry and the new academy is part of their ongoing ‘Women in Engineering’ campaign which has already seen two new female HVAC engineers taking up roles.

Colin Tennent, Chairman of Thermatic, said: “Our sector is simply not the go-to sector for those leaving school and so this academy is about investing  in the future of the community and the industry with the purpose of not only tackling the skills gap in our industry, but also to inspire the next generation to pursue a career in engineering.

“It is also about showing that this sector is open to anyone with a willingness to learn and we want to see many more women joining our team in the near future. We feel that it is our responsibility to sell engineering as a career of choice for all.  Our apprenticeship programme will also take high priority in the coming months, with a focus on engaging more apprentices and providing them with the training and development needed to progress within the business and the industry.”

Thermatic’s partnership with The Salford Foundation means the company is able to work with young people in the community and to shine the spotlight on engineering as a career, educating them about the potential of the engineering and construction industry. The team is also liaising with colleges and universities to allow use of their facilities as a venue for lectures and educational visits.

Phil East, Deputy Chief Executive at The Salford Foundation, said: “We are passionate about providing the young people and adults of Salford with the skills and the voice to achieve their goals, be theypersonal, professional or academic. The new Academy at Thermatic will provide opportunities for education, skills and a sense of community for those involved and it will be exciting to see what the future holds.

“Together with Thermatic, we are able to educate youngsters in the area about the engineering and construction industry in the hope of interesting them now and attracting new talent in years to come.”

Stunning new conference and events space has been unveiled at Manchester’s newest hotel, the Crowne Plaza – Oxford Road.

The seven state-of-the art meetings rooms are bathed in natural daylight, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and come equipped with the very latest in conference technology and high-speed Wi-Fi.

Between them they offer Manchester’s businesses 4,744 sq. ft. of floor space which can cater for more than 200 conference delegates at any one time.

And in a nod to its special location within the university district on Oxford Road, the hotel team have paid tribute to Manchester University’s most famous alumni – by naming their meeting rooms in their honour.

Those who have been name-checked include computing expert Alan Turing, Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington, the famous British astronomer, Nobel prize-winning architect Norman Foster, chemist Sir Robert Robinson and former Chief Executive of Manchester City Council Sir Howard Bernstein.

General Manager of Manchester’s only dual-branded hotel said the benefits of holding meetings and conferences at the Crowne Plaza Manchester – Oxford Road, were bolstered, not only by the Oxford Road Corridor location, but by the fact the 19-storey hotel boasts both a Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites hotel.

The development, known as “The Lume” is Manchester’s first ever dual-branded hotel. Andrew Fletcher explained that the Crowne Plaza boasts 212 guest rooms across the lower 12 storeys, while the extended-stay brand Staybridge Suites, offers 116 guest rooms, all with exceptional views of the city.

He said: “We are so proud of the conference and meetings space we have created and believe we have a truly unique offering for anyone holding a meeting or event in Manchester.

“With a brand-new dedicated conference floor and flexible meeting space, we’re confident our hotel will give any organisation the options they need to do business, whether they’re organising an intimate board meeting or a large-scale conference.

“With an abundance of natural daylight, the most stylish interior design and exceptional catering from The Laureate restaurant chefs we believe we have created the perfect blend to give delegates the best experience possible.

“And with two very different accommodation offerings to choose from within the one site, we know we have something very special that can cater for anyone looking for meeting or events space within Manchester.”

Projekts MCR has announced a month-long community fundraising campaign which is offering the city’s community the chance to help shape the identity of Manchester, by owning a share of a pioneering space under the Mancunian Way as it is transformed into one of the largest managed concrete skateparks in the UK.

The not-for-profit Co-operative and Community Benefit Society is looking to create a vibrant community space for local young people and their families.

The skatepark’s aspiration over the next year is to expand its current ramp capacity by an additional 700sqm of concrete ramps for all abilities, allowing the team to work with up to 10,000 more under serviced young people each year.

In order to facilitate this expansion, the skatepark hopes to raise up to £200,000 through a Community Share Offer.

This crowdfunding will offer the community the opportunity to own a share of the organisation, in return for vital funding which will facilitate the growth of the skatepark and enable it to offer even more educational, health, well-being and work programmes for hard to reach members of the community.

As well as the benefits to Projekts MCR, the donation will also have clear benefits to the investor. As well as the potential to own a piece of Manchester’s most unique spaces, investors will also be eligible for Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR).

Projekts MCR is run by people living locally, looking to have the maximum positive impact on communities surrounding the skatepark.

The area is one of the most deprived in England, with eight council wards that fall within the 10% most deprived in the country within a two mile radius of the park.

For the last five years, Projekts MCR has seen skatepark attendance from people living in those areas shoot up with the creation of female only classes, adults’ classes and reaching over 3,000 children a year through skateboard coaching classes.

Currently, the skatepark sees over 18.000 visits a year and delivers over 20 coaching sessions a week to schools and youth related groups in Greater Manchester.

Funding will enable growth of the skatepark to occupy an additional 700m2 with concrete ramps, the city’s first skate cafe, community space and a spectator viewing platform, all carefully designed to enhance ramp use and increase capacity for all users, all abilities and all activity types. Plus the creation of a youth engagement room and meeting space to provide classes, coaching and training for even more young people.

The increased space will reduce overheads by replacing the costly wooden skatepark with the more robust concrete surface. The increased capacity will generate more income through entrance fees, parties, events and coaching classes anchoring their potential for growth. The viewing area will allow parents to see their children across the whole skatepark, enhancing security and safety for all participants.

The expansion will also increase the capacity for group and individual skateboarding lessons, birthday parties and private hire as well as allowing hire of the site by other community organisations and for expansion of our youth work and educational programmes.

John Haines, CEO of Projekts MCR, said; “In recent years we have seen a real appetite from the community to support the vital work we do here at Projekts MCR. They are as passionate as we are about offering a positive space for underserved kids to thrive and we feel that offering them a chance to actually own part of the organisation as it grows is the best way to say thank you and deliver on our commitment to help more and more people.

“It’s not all worthy – skateboarding is fun and so is Projekts MCR. We want to create a space that people love to spend time in, a space that Manchester can be really proud of. £200,000 is a big undertaking and we want to thank everyone who supports us.”

Manchester-based online content curation platform Wakelet is moving to a new base in Manchester Science Partnerships’ (MSP) Tech Incubator at Manchester Technology Centre.

The innovative company has seen its user base surge by over 200% YoY – growth that has been supported by a stream of new hires with headcount growing by 40% in the last six months alone.

Wakelet currently has more than a million individual and business users. Organisations on the platform include prestigious institutions like Harvard University, international sports teams FC Barcelona and Atlanta Hawks, and blue chip companies such as Airbus and Experian.

The move marks a new and exciting chapter for Wakelet, reflecting the company’s rapid expansion and multiple uses – whether it’s bookmarking, storytelling, archiving, collecting research, portfolios, topic pages and so much more.

Wakelet’s new home in the Tech Incubator will see them join a community of fast growing data science and technology innovation startups and have the support of a specialist growth programme including access to funding and finance, talent and leadership services, business mentorship and product development support from MSP and its partner network.

As the largest company within the Tech Incubator, Wakelet will be part of the new Circle Square development at the heart of the Oxford Road Corridor innovation district, next to the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.

The Tech Incubator also forms part of Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General Capital, which was created last week. Bruntwood SciTech’s locations are already home to more than 500 science and technology businesses and has been established to provide high specification workspace as well as support the growth of companies like Wakelet in Manchester and other regional cities.

Jamil Khalil, CEO and co-founder of Wakelet, said: “In recent months, world-class names such as the Ashmolean Museum, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Minnesota United have joined our platform and we’ve also expanded our team. This rapid expansion meant that we’d outgrown our previous offices.

“We saw how the space and the community had developed at the Tech Incubator since its launch in May, and knew it was the best place for our team to thrive as we enter an exciting phase in our growth journey.”

Chris Oglesby, Chairman of Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Wakelet is one of the most exciting tech businesses in the North, with the clear potential to be a global player in online content curation. We are delighted to welcome Jamil and the team to the Tech Incubator and look forward to working with them to help them achieve their growth ambitions.

“We are sure they will benefit from being part of the vibrant, collaborative and ambitious community at the Tech Incubator and also from the unique programme of business support it offers.

“Space at the Tech Incubator is filling up fast, reflecting the strength and depth of Manchester’s technology sector, which is great to see.”