More than 550 Year 8 girls from across Greater Manchester explored AI, robotics and cyber security at Manchester’s MEGA festival, discovering careers they may never otherwise have considered.
MEGA is led by IN4 Group and delivered in partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). It supports the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate, known as the MBacc, which is designed to give young people a clear line of sight to good jobs by connecting education more closely with employers and the needs of the local economy.
Students from Co-op Academy Swinton said the festival at Freight Island in Manchester had given them a new perspective on the opportunities available in technology. Alexandra said: “It was great to explore the latest technologies and get hands-on experience with them.” Pippa added programming robotic cars made coding “fun and practical”, while Lily said: “This has shown me the different career pathways ahead, especially in AI, and how those skills can open real job opportunities.”
Working alongside experts from 30 employers and partner organisations, including BT, Microsoft, KPMG UK, IBM, Barclays, PA Consulting, Capgemini and the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, students programmed robots, built AI agents, tackled cyber security escape rooms and explored generative AI using Microsoft Copilot and Claude. They also designed and pitched their own ‘AI for Good’ ideas, giving them a hands-on insight into the technologies and careers shaping the future workplace.
The event comes as women make up just 29% of the UK’s technology workforce. MEGA (Motivated, Educated, Generation with Ambition) aims to encourage more girls, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to explore STEM careers by building confidence, broadening aspirations and connecting them with employers and role models working across the sector.
Emily Rowland, Head of Computing at Blue Coat School in Oldham, said: “Events like this open girls’ eyes to the many careers computing can lead to, building confidence, creativity and real-world problem‑solving skills so they can imagine themselves working in tech here in Greater Manchester.”
MEGA Hubs are designed to unlock the potential of talented young people who may be at risk of underachieving due to disadvantage, neurodiversity or limited access to professional networks.
Now active across five boroughs, including Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside and Wigan, the programme provides more than 3,000 secondary school students with access to a pioneering AI super-curriculum and an AI Academy, alongside mentoring and routes into apprenticeships, further education and technology careers. It supports the MBacc’s vision of giving young people a clearer line of sight to good jobs by connecting education more closely with employers and the needs of the local economy.
Lauren Monks, Director of CyberFirst and MEGA Hubs at IN4 Group, said: “Seeing more than 550 girls confidently programming robots, experimenting with AI and pitching their own ideas showed exactly why experiences like this matter. When young people can see themselves using these technologies, they begin to see themselves building careers in them. That’s how we turn curiosity into confidence, and confidence into future opportunities.
“This generation is growing up as AI-natives, so it’s our responsibility to turn that familiarity into meaningful skills and create clear pathways into the careers our region needs.”
Nicola McLeod, Director of Education, Work and Skills at GMCA, said: “MEGA brings the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) to life by helping young people, especially young women, see the digital skills, experiences and opportunities that can open the door to exciting future careers. It is about building confidence, equal opportunity and showing young people the range of opportunities available to them. It also matters for employers, because Greater Manchester’s businesses need skilled local talent to grow, and programmes like MEGA Hubs are helping to inspire and develop our future workforce.”
The MEGA Hubs build on IN4’s successful delivery of CyberFirst North West, a programme backed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ.
