Andy Burnham would devolve employment support to the regions as part of his plan for ‘good growth in every postcode’.

Making his first major policy speech before, as is widely expected, he becomes prime minister on 20 July, Burnham said: “Where young people need mental health support, it should be provided as part of in-work support.

“And we will answer the call from the mayors, and particularly the mayor of the North East, for devolution of employment support and changing the way we support and sustain people in employment, working much more through our community and voluntary sector at a grassroots level, working with organisations people trust to help them, rather than going to places that they fear.”

The former mayor of Greater Manchester, and new MP for Makerfield, said his government would require “a much greater supply of 45-day work placements and apprenticeships for young people”, adding that he took the findings of Alan Milburn’s recent report on young people and work “very seriously”.

“We need a complete rethink of how we support the next generation to succeed, and it has to start with the education system,” said Burnham.

“The days of a school system configured entirely around the university route will be brought to an end. University is great for those who want it, but when are we going to focus on the life chances of those kids who want something different?

“When the country hasn’t done that for a long, long time, people have argued over many years for an education system based on parity between academic and technical, and that is what we will build, giving every young person growing up here a clear path into a reindustrialised Britain.”

Jude Hillary, co-head of policy and practice at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), said: “It was encouraging to hear Mr Burnham speak so purposefully about these issues. However, achieving this requires sustained investment, strong partnerships between education providers and employers, and a cultural shift towards a genuine and meaningful parity of esteem between technical and vocational routes and academic pathways.”

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI chief executive, said: “Business will welcome Andy Burnham’s clear focus on growth and delivery. Taking the positive, dynamic and collaborative approach that has helped public and private sectors drive growth in Manchester and applying it at UK level would give industry a practical agenda it can get behind.

“Business will welcome the commitments to sound public finances, upholding fiscal rules and maintaining investor confidence. Backing innovation and scale-ups, boosting international trade and tackling youth unemployment by strengthening apprenticeships are practical steps that can help unlock growth.”

She added: “We can’t forget that a change of prime minister does not change the economic realities facing the country. Public spending alone cannot ease the cost-of-living crisis or transform the economy; business must do much of the heavy lifting. If firms are to be the engine of growth, the government must first tackle the cost of doing business, which has already reached a tipping point.”

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Change is badly needed. Despite the progress made since July 2024, over the last decade and a half, working people have had their pay packets hammered, insecure work has exploded and Tory deindustrialisation has gutted our industrial heartlands.

“Now we need to see an ambitious programme for the first 100 days of government that delivers good, secure jobs, action on energy bills and steps towards a fairer tax system.

“This needs to be a reset moment for British politics. The public wants a government that is bold, willing to fight for them and ready to take on vested interests who have done well from the broken status quo, like bad bosses, the super wealthy and social media and crypto billionaires.”

 

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