The Economy Scrutiny Committee of Manchester City Council met on Tuesday 21 July 2026 to discuss youth employment and young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET), as well as the annual report on culture in Manchester. The committee also reviewed an overview report detailing key decisions and the committee's work programme.

Youth Employment and Young People Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET)

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the current position regarding young people aged 16-24 who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in Manchester. The report was to cover the causes of disengagement, actions being taken by the Council and its partners, and the implications of the interim report from the Milburn Review on Young People and Work. This area is identified as a top corporate and political priority for the Council. The report highlighted that in May 2026, there were 867 young people identified as NEET (5.7%) and 171 with unknown destinations (1.1%), totalling 1,038 (6.8%) of the 15,201-strong cohort. The report also detailed the Council's efforts to increase post-16 provision, with an additional 1,386 places implemented through collaboration with providers and the Department for Education. The committee was to be informed about the national Youth Guarantee, extended in March 2026 to cover 18-24 year olds and backed by significant government funding, and how Manchester is responding through initiatives like a citywide apprenticeship campaign and the development of a Youth Hub in East Manchester. The report also noted that while statutory participation duties focus on those up to age 18, disengagement is often most pronounced among 18-24 year olds, prompting an extended cohort approach. The Risk of NEET Indicator (RONI) was discussed, showing that in Spring Term 2026, 21.2% of Year 11 pupils were identified as being at risk of becoming NEET. The report also touched upon apprenticeship trends, noting a decline in starts for younger people and a shift towards higher-level apprenticeships.

Annual Report on Culture 2026

The committee was scheduled to review the Annual Report on Culture 2026, which provides an overview of the Council's support for the city's cultural sector. The report details progress on Always, Everywhere: Manchester's Cultural Ambition, presents data from the Council's Cultural Impact Survey for 2024-25, summarises the Council's investment in cultural organisations, outlines cultural activity in neighbourhoods, and recognises achievements at the 2025 Manchester Culture Awards. The report highlighted that in 2024-25, cultural organisations collectively supported 4,095 full-time equivalent jobs and generated £262 million in Gross Value Added (GVA). It also noted that earned and private sector income accounted for 56% of the sector's total income, while public sector investments made up 44%. The report detailed the significant investments made in Strategic Cultural Investments (SCIs) such as Factory International, HOME, the National Football Museum, Bridgewater Hall, Z-arts, and Manchester City of Literature. It also outlined the Cultural Partnership Grants (CPG) programme, which supports fourteen organisations. The report further discussed the environmental impact of the cultural sector, with a focus on reducing carbon emissions, and highlighted best practices in areas such as LED lighting upgrades and waste reduction. The Manchester Culture Awards 2025 were also detailed, celebrating achievements across various categories.

Overview Report

The committee was scheduled to consider an Overview Report from the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit. This report typically provides details of key decisions within the committee's remit, updates on actions resulting from previous recommendations, and the committee's work programme. Members were expected to review and potentially amend the work programme. The report indicated that previous recommendations regarding transport connectivity, support for young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET), apprenticeship barriers, and graduate retention were being addressed. It also noted that a recommendation to approach the Living Wage Foundation regarding measuring young people earning the Real Living Wage had been forwarded to relevant officers. The report also included an extract from the Register of Key Decisions, highlighting upcoming decisions relevant to the committee's remit, such as the funding strategy for the Northern Growth Strategy and rail infrastructure investment. The committee's work programme for the upcoming months was also detailed, outlining planned discussions on topics including youth employment, the annual culture report, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, the Work and Skills Strategy, casual labour, transport, and the budget.