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Join Northern Cities Youth Conference 2025

Mar 28, 2025 | For our Youth, ARE, Career Events, Conferences, Employability, Employability Projects, Events, Projects, YFF

Northern Cities Youth Conference 2025 - The Young People Panel - photo via Brigitta Appiah Darko LinkedIn

Addressing the Gap: The Northern Cities Youth Conference 2025 and MEaP’s Mission for BME Youth Equity

On 19th February 2025, the Friends’ Meeting House in Manchester hosted a pivotal moment for our city’s future: the inaugural Northern Cities Youth Employment Conference. Co-hosted by MEaP alongside Young Manchester and Action for Race Equality (ARE), and supported by the Youth Futures Foundation (YFF), this event was a direct response to a stark reality: the persistent and widening employment gap facing Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) young people.

For us at MEaP, this conference was more than a meeting of minds; it was a platform designed to dismantle the barriers that keep our community’s talent on the sidelines. It allowed the young people we serve to step into the spotlight, proving that when the right doors are opened, their potential is limitless. It set the stage for the innovative work we have done since, including our transformative Re-design, Re-think initiative.

The Northern Cities Youth Conference 2025 Confronting the Flagrant Data

The motivation for this event was born out of necessity. The data leading up to early 2025 was—and remains—unacceptable. National and local statistics painted a troubling picture of inequality that MEaP refused to ignore.

In the period preceding the conference, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data indicated that while the general population saw shifts in employment, the unemployment rate for BME individuals remained disproportionately high, often double that of their White counterparts. Locally, the situation in Greater Manchester was particularly acute. Statistics from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) showed that young people from BME backgrounds in our region were significantly more likely to be classified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), their number showing a significant jump, reflecting the systemic hurdles that BME youth face in the Greater Manchester region.

Research from Action for Race Equality highlighted that BME youth face a “double disadvantage”—navigating both a competitive job market and systemic bias. Furthermore, a Youth Futures Foundation report revealed a “hidden NEET” crisis, where over 60% of Black young people were not accessing traditional support services, effectively becoming invisible to the systems meant to help them. This conference was our way of bringing that hidden talent to the forefront and demanding that Manchester’s employers take notice.

The Northern Cities Youth Conference 2025 empowering the Next Generation of Manchester’s Leaders

The day was structured to bridge the gap between untapped potential and industry opportunity. The heart of the Northern Cities Youth conference 2025 was the Young People’s Panel, where trailblazers like Lucia Ene-Lesikar, Mubarak Tairo, and Nikita Patel shared their firsthand experiences navigating the UK job market, challenging the room. They spoke about the exhaustion of navigating workplace discrimination – a sentiment echoed by data showing that nearly half of BME youth have experienced negative emotional impacts due to recruitment bias. Their message was clear: young BME talent does not need “saving”—it needs access, trust, and the dismantling of traditional gatekeeping.

At MEaP, we view employability as a holistic journey. The conference highlighted several key pillars that define our approach:

Challenging the “Who You Know” Culture: Panelists discussed how limited professional networks often act as a barrier. We work to provide the “social capital” that is often missing.
Advocating for Inclusive Hiring: We don’t just prepare the young person for the workplace; we challenge the workplace to be ready for the young person.
Fostering Trust: One of the most resonant themes was the need for employers to “trust” young talent early, shifting the narrative from “at-risk” to “high-potential.”

Beyond the Northern Cities Youth Employment Conference 2025

The Northern Cities Youth Employment Conference 2025 was a milestone, but it was just the beginning. We are committed to ensuring that the flagrant data of the past becomes a footnote in a new story of equity and achievement for every BME Mancunian we support. Our role at MEaP is to ensure these young people have the “social capital” to thrive. Whether through our digital skills training or intensive mentoring, we are equipping them with the resilience and the network they need to succeed in a city that is rapidly evolving.

The conference served as a powerful catalyst for our subsequent projects. One of the most successful outcomes following the event was the launch of our Re-design, Re-think and social hackaton programmes, and the continuation of our successful TECHWELL bootcamp and ESOL programmes.

This initiative was designed to take the energy from the conference and turn it into tangible skills. Our recent Re-design, Re-think 3-day youth bootcamp saw young people from across Manchester take a critical look at the systems around them, learning how to “re-design” their professional identities. The impact has been phenomenal; as showcased on our LinkedIn, the winner of our recent competition demonstrated the exact kind of innovation and grit that defines BME youth in our community. By reimagining their approach to the working world, these participants are now better equipped to bypass the very barriers discussed at the Friends’ Meeting House.

Are you ready to join us in creating a fairer workforce for Greater Manchester? Visit our Employability Page to discover our latest projects and how you can get involved.