Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. How do we get more young people to take these subjects at GCSE, A-level, and degree level? One way is to give youngsters a real taste of how exciting these fields are and the sort of career prospects they would have. That is what The Big Bang, the UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair, currently on at Manchester Central is all about.
Talking about Metrolink and what has become a collection of medium-sized bangs, but with the same endpoint as the original Big Bang, a greatly enlarged network adding Ashton, Rochdale and Oldham Town Centres, Didsbury, Manchester Airport and Wythenshawe to the destinations served.
A busy day yesterday ended with an Innovation Boardroom session in the NoiseLab on Market Street. One of our tasks in the Manchester city-region is to stimulate innovation at every level.
Highlight of Monday was a visit (in my role as the City Council's design champion) to two of our increasingly numerous new schools. The first, Irk Valley Primary, is in my own ward of Crumpsall, although it serves a much wider catchment area, sitting as it does on the Crumpsall, Harpurhey, Cheetham boundary.
Catching up on last week first! Suppose I could pretend it was all this week but won't as this blog is about open and transparent government.
Work doesn't half get in the way sometimes and this week has been particularly busy, keeping me away from my one finger attacks on the computer key board. Started the week at the Business Leadership Council. This is a Greater Manchester body bringing together business people from across the city-region, from a range of businesses, to give independent advice to AGMA from a business perspective.
First task of the day is adjusting the brakes on my bike. As the ride into town is almost completely down hill, an ability to stop without using the soles of my shoes is quite useful. First meeting of the day is the Corridor Board meeting.
Generally like to keep family and private life private but am going to break my own rule as I'm so excited at becoming a Grandad for the first time. Ava Ellie Leese, born on Tuesday evening at Crumpsall hospital (as were both her parents) and I'm looking forward to lots of lovely Grandfatherly things. The Council hasn't ground to halt as a consequence with a number of interesting meetings today.
Off to London this afternoon for the third meeting of the Putting the Frontline First Taskforce and then a meeting with the Secretary of State for Transport about High Speed Rail. It says something that I can now with confidence catch the 12.35 train to London for a 3.30pm meeting and with the second meeting finishing around 6, have a reasonable expectation of not being home too late. With High Speed Rail I could be home for tea!
A planned all day budget meeting (2011/12 not next year's) earlier this week got in the way of one event that I really would have liked to have got to not least because it was just down the road from home.
The blog of the leader of Manchester City Council, Councillor Richard Leese.