A NEW scheme will offer 1,000 young people the chance to step into the shoes of some of the region's most influential businesspeople.

The Meet Your Future campaign aims to give young people workplace shadowing opportunities showcasing the breadth of careers across Greater Manchester.

The scheme has been organised by the region's mayor Andy Burnham alongside the Careers & Enterprise Company.

Mr Burnham said: When I left university and started looking for a job in Greater Manchester I remember how hard it was to get some experience on my CV. Opportunities seemed to go to people whose parents had the most connections.

“That’s why I wanted to create this ground-breaking work shadowing scheme. I want every young person growing up in our city-region to have a chance to break into the industry of their choice and gain the confidence that can come from successful work shadowing.”

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and partners aims to get 50 initial businesses to open their doors to support a stream of young people into work shadowing opportunities. The ultimate target is opportunities available in up to 1,000 positions by 2020.