A pioneering AI super curriculum is expanding across the city-region through the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc), connecting thousands of young people to future careers in technology.
The Greater Manchester Baccalaureate, known as the MBacc, is designed to give young people a clearer line of sight to good jobs by connecting education more closely with employers and the needs of the local economy. Backed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and local authorities, MEGA (Motivated, Educated, Generation with Ambition) Hubs are now active across five boroughs, providing more than 3,000 secondary school students with access to a technology-enriched super curriculum and an AI Academy.
Following the successful launch of the first hub in Oldham, MEGA Hubs are being rolled out across secondary schools in Rochdale, Salford, Tameside and Wigan. The programme forms a key part of MBacc’s ambition to connect education more directly with future skills and employment opportunities. Developed by professional technology training and skills provider IN4 Group, MEGA Hubs are delivered alongside leading industry partners including KPMG UK, Northrop Grumman, CGI, QinetiQ, PA Consulting, Energus, Roke and BT. In collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, MEGA Hubs aims to strengthen digital learning across Greater Manchester by providing access to emerging technologies, curriculum resources and teacher training opportunities.
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. MEGA is 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. It connects young people with hands-on digital skills, mentoring, and routes into apprenticeships, further education, and technology careers, reinforcing MBacc’s 2030 vision for a regional blueprint in technical education. Through MEGA Days delivered at partner colleges and workplaces across the city-region, students take part in immersive, challenge-led experiences covering AI, cyber security, robotics, data and digital creativity. This summer term alone, thousands of Key Stage 3 and 4 students will experience MEGA Days across the five hubs, alongside ‘Manchester’s MEGA’ at Freight Island in June – a flagship tech festival bringing together over 500 girls, aged 11-14.
Lauren Monks, Director of CyberFirst and MEGA Hubs at IN4 Group, said: “Thanks to the backing of GMCA and local authorities, we’re continuing to expand MEGA Hubs across the city-region and amplify our shared ambition for young people’s digital futures through MBacc’s Digital and Technology Gateway. This generation is growing up as AI-natives, so it’s our responsibility to turn that familiarity into meaningful skills and progression routes connected to the immediate AI and data capability demand of our local economy. Oldham is already proving what’s possible through our model, and as impact grows across Rochdale, Salford, Tameside and Wigan, we want every borough and state secondary school across Greater Manchester to benefit from this opportunity.”
Nicola McLeod, Director of Education, Work and Skills at GMCA, said: “Every young person in Greater Manchester deserves the chance to build the skills, confidence and experience they need to succeed. Digital skills are no longer optional. They’re needed in almost every role in every sector, whether that’s health, construction or creative industries. Through our MEGA Hubs partnership, young people can see how digital skills lead to real opportunities. This supports the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) mission to give young people a clear line of sight to good jobs, while helping employers build the skilled workforce Greater Manchester needs.”
