MBacc Summit
The MBacc Summit is part of Greater Manchester’s Festival of Technical Education, a series of events taking place across the city-region in June and July.
Organised by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the Summit is an annual celebration of the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc). It shines a spotlight on the educators, employers and young people who are leading the way in MBacc delivery.
This invite-only event brings together leaders from education, industry, and policy to reflect on what’s been achieved so far and explore what’s next as we move toward the MBacc 2030 vision.
This year’s Summit will take place at Co-op Live – a symbol of the city region’s growing economy and a powerful backdrop for a movement focused on connecting education with the jobs of the future.
MBacc Summit 2025 – Agenda
Date: Wednesday 2 July 2025
Time: 9:00am – 12:30pm
Venue: Co-op Live, Vertu Place, Manchester
09:00 – Arrival & Networking
A chance to network and speak to our exhibitors from across the seven MBacc Gateways.
09:45 – Welcome Address
Host: Samuel Remi-Akinwale, CEO of Young Manchester
10:00 – Keynote: Beyond the Vision – Making MBacc a Reality
Speaker: Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham
Reflecting on one year of progress and outlining the MBacc vision to 2030.
10:15 – Creating a Clear Future for Young People, By Young People
Young people share their personal journeys and the challenges they've faced through the education system.
10:30 – Rethinking education: a conversation with Andy Burnham and Peter Hyman
Speakers:
- Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
- Peter Hyman, Co-founder and first Headteacher of School 21, Co-founder of Voice 21, and Former Senior Strategist to Sir Keir Starmer
Section One: Laying the Foundations: The Green Shoots from Year One
10:50 – MBacc in the Curriculum
Hear how educators have been embedding the MBacc in classrooms and tailoring it to their students.
Speakers:
- Pete Taylor, Headteacher, Audenshaw School
- Nikola Westhead, Co-Headteacher, North Chadderton School
- Jess Heap, Assistant Headteacher, Rayner Stephens High School
- Cathy Broderick, Assistant Principal for Employability, Partnerships and Skills, The Manchester College
11:05 – Gateway Experiences with GM Employers
Discover how the MBacc is connecting young people to real-world experiences at key points in their journey (14, 16 and 18).
Speakers:
- Peter Gaul, CEO, Belonging Schools
- Ella Wardleworth-Phillips, Head of Development and Programmes, Network North, The Careers & Enterprise Company
- Jess Bates, UK/I Skills, Employment and Education Lead, AtkinsRéalis
11:20 – Digital Skills: Future-Proofing Talent
Learn how the MBacc is helping build digital skills to meet the demands of tomorrow’s workforce.
Speakers:
- Kevin Stevens, Account Technical Leader Manager, IBM UK & Ireland
- Rachel Arthur, Chief Learning Officer, Raspberry Pi Foundation
Section Two: Scaling the Ambition
11:35 – Unveiling Year Two of the MBacc
Speaker: Nicola McLeod, Director of Education, Work and Skills, GMCA
Outlining plans to expand reach, deepen impact and drive system-wide change.
11:50 – Keynote: The Ladder of Opportunity: Building a World-Class Technical Education System in Greater Manchester
Speaker: Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Chair of Baker Dearing International and former Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
A vision for building a world-class technical education system in Greater Manchester.
12:05 – Closing Address
12:20 – Close & Departure