Business

The FREE six-week course that helps young Mancs get into high-flying creative careers

Skills that will put you to the front of interview queues. 

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 18th August 2022

So the exams are done, you’ve got your results, and the whole world is your oyster. 

But no matter how well results day goes, the question of ‘What’s next?!’ can feel like a daunting one, and the jump from education to the world of work often feels absolutely massive. 

It’s why The Digital Youth Hub has been created – a completely free six-week course that will ease the transition, give you some seriously useful skills to move forward with, and put you to the front of interview queues. 

Through workshops, masterclasses and skills sessions, you’ll learn how to create content, build a digital CV and find out about ways to access Greater Manchester’s booming creative jobs market. 

You can get a taste for industries like marketing, photography, web development, social media management, copywriting, podcasting and discover the employment opportunities available for young people equipped with creative digital skills.

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Each member of The Digital Youth Hub will have access to one-to-one sessions with a talent manager too, to help plan their next career steps.

The scheme comes from SharpFutures and the DWP and has been created specifically for 18-24 year olds who live in Greater Manchester and aren’t in full-time work or studies.

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The Digital Youth Hub consists of 3 elements: a physical place (at leading digital hub The Sharp Project) to create content, a virtual space to learn and be inspired and an online platform to develop and explore digital skills as you’re learning.

The Sharp Project

The Sharp Project itself, in Newton Heath, is home to more than 60 digital entrepreneurs and production companies specialising in digital content production, digital media and TV and film production – one of which is SharpFutures. 

Towards the end of the 6 weeks Digital Youth Hub members will be interviewed to join the SharpFutures POD scheme, which provides a talent pool of people who can be booked to assist on exciting projects with clients such as the BBC and Channel 4.

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The Digital Youth Hub states: “​​There are a huge amount of job opportunities out there for young people that can create content, do social media marketing and understand how businesses use digital so we’ve designed a programme to help develop these skills”

“Confidence in using programmes such as: Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva and Google Docs puts you to the front of the interview queue. With additional knowledge and skills in social media management and content creation or project planning and budgeting again increasing your likelihood of employability.

“The Digital Youth Hub aims to give young people these digital life skills that will not only help them gain employment but make them a much more valuable staff member. Many of these skills are easily transferable so if they do change career paths or even decide to be their own boss, they are already a few steps ahead.”

You can sign up to the Digital Youth Hub free of charge here, and follow Digital Youth Hub on Instagram and TikTok.

Featured image: Supplied

Business

How much money Manchester United spent on Dan Ashworth only for him to leave five months later

Danny Jones Danny Jones How much did Man United spend on getting Dan Ashworth compensation?

Manchester United’s ‘new’ sporting director Dan Ashworth only made the move to Old Trafford back in July and now, just five months later, he has officially left by ‘mutual agreement’.

Announced over the weekend, not only did the news come much to the surprise of United fans but given that his appointment was confirmed long before his start date, Ashworth actually spent almost just as long not quite having joined the club as he did on the job. Sounds messy, we know – because it is.

In short, both Newcastle and now Manchester United’s 53-year-old ex-sporting director was placed on gardening leave back in February after a clear approach by what would be his short-lived new home.

They also paid the North East side a large sum to secure his services – far from a measly number when you consider where else they’ve pinched pennies this year…

Nope, think that about covers it.

To put things into context, while in footballing terms £3 million might not sound like a lot of money (the industry being as overinflated as it is), when you take into account what that money could have gone towards, it doesn’t necessarily make for great reading.

Oh yeah, you also have to tot up how much he was paid as his regular wage during a five-month stint in which even more money was spent on players and those hoping to grab a ticket to one of the remaining games this season (we’re not even in Christmas yet) were asked to fork of £66 for the privilege.

The technical director for the FA’s elite development programme will have likely been on a higher wage in Manchester than he was in Newcastle, where he is said to have taken home around £1.5m a year, and probably notched a good chunk of that amount in less than half a year.

Even operating on the assumption that the INEOS Group matched his rate at St James’ Park, this means that he will have made at the very least an estimated £625k since switching Uniteds.

Add that on top of The Times‘ claims that the actual compensation figure Jim Ratcliffe and co. paid to release him from his previous role were actually upwards of the reported figure, then you’re looking at something closer to over £5m for as many months of work.

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Just as a reminder, roughly £200m has been spent on new players since Ashworth took up the position and 250 staff members were made redundant from various roles throughout the club, which was also said to have tacked on another £8.6m to the overall expenditure.

Although exact details are still yet to be fully verified, Ashworth and the new United hierarchy have clearly clashed: it is thought he was lumped with the decision to keep Erik ten Hag and extend his contract before his eventual sacking and also made clear suggestions as to his replacement.

It is also thought Ashworth had tipped other frontrunners to replace the Dutchman instead of new head coach Ruben Amorim, who CEO Omar Berrada to tie down before his former employers Manchester City could line up as Pep Guardiola’s eventual successor.

Whatever ultimately comes out in the wash, we think it’s fair to say it all sounds like a bit of a shambles and the atmosphere around the club – especially following the recent protests over increased ticket prices – looks to be less than rosy once again.

One thing is for sure, like most of those who have attempted since Sir Alex Ferguson, the new manager has walked into a much bigger task than he could have ever predicted and given the Ashworth developments, recent sackings and fan frustration on multiple fronts, United could really do with a win.

Featured Images — BT Sport (screenshot via YouTube)

Business

Government announces £250m plans to create thousands of new jobs in Greater Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Thousands of new jobs are set to be created at a ‘research and innovation hub’ in Greater Manchester, it has been announced.

Keir Starmer is currently visiting the Gulf, and as part of the UK Government’s intent to “drive investment” into various cities and regions nationwide, the Prime Minister has now announced plans to pursue closer ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia – who he says are some of the UK’s “most vital” modern-day partners.

According to the Government, this part of the ‘Plan for Change’ will increase investment, deepen defence and security ties, and boost growth and new opportunities, both here in the UK and abroad, in a bid to to “deliver change that is felt by working people”.

It’s the north of England that will “reap the immediate benefits” from the closer cooperation of the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the Government claims – particularly here in Greater Manchester.

The Prime Minister has announced £250m plans to create thousands of new jobs in Greater Manchester / Credit: Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street (via Flickr)

Manchester-based Graphene Innovation Manchester (GIM) has now launched the world’s first commercial production of graphene-enriched carbon fibre, along with Saudi Arabia’s NEOM Giga-Project, which is said to be a “groundbreaking step forward” in the delivery of environmentally sustainable advanced materials.

The project is aiming to generate £250 million of investment into a research and innovation hub in Greater Manchester.

More than 1,000 skilled jobs are also expected to be created in our region.

Hydrogen buses, trucks, critical components, and other elements of hydrogen production and distribution will be created over the lifetime of the project, all while removing more than 25 million tons of transport-related CO2.

The Prime Minister says every region and nation in the UK “should feel the impact” of the ‘Plan for Change’, but the North will benefit first.

“I am determined to ensure international diplomacy drives local results,” Starmer said.

“Whether that is discussing how we can support regeneration in the UK, or supporting business deals that create jobs, my international agenda starts at home.”

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Greater Manchester will also be benefitting from significant Saudi investment in housing too, the Government says – with International Investment Gate injecting £41 million into the regeneration of Brunswick Mill in Stockport to create 277 flats and 24 commercial outlets, and support the Prime Minister’s milestone to build 1.5 million homes by the end of his tenure in Parliament.

Featured Image – Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)

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