Greater Manchester's mayor has revealed plans to give the region's students the option of studying technical subjects instead of going to university.
Andy Burnham wants a Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) to be a new "education pathway" for young people choosing their GCSE options.
He said it would offer a technical alternative to the existing academic English Baccalaureate (EBacc).
The "value of technical skills" had been ignored for "too long", he added.
The MBacc has been made possible through Greater Manchester's new devolved powers which were announced in March.
A representative for the mayor's office said those powers gave Greater Manchester "further oversight of post-16 technical skills".
They said they would allow local leaders "to better shape how the city region supports the one in three young people who do not want to go to university and match them into the skilled jobs being created in the local economy".
