School children across Greater Manchester were given the chance to hear about working in hospitality at Parklife festival last week.

They were given a tour of the Parklife festival set in Heaton Park after being invited by the city-region’s Night-time Economy Adviser and co-creator of Parklife Sacha Lord.

Children from 10 schools in Greater Manchester were invited to a ‘Workplace Safari’ of the festival set while it was in build mode on Thursday, 9th June.

Sacha first launched Parklife back in 2010 at Platt Fields Park, which has since moved to Heaton Park and employs more than 4,500 people across the weekend.

The Workplace Safari is part of the Meet Your Future project, a partnership which includes Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), The Careers & Enterprise Company and BridgeGM.

It gives young people workplace shadowing opportunities showcasing the breadth of careers across Greater Manchester.

During a morning session more than 50 Year 10 students, aged 14 to 15, experienced Parklife without the crowds and heard about the different jobs available in this area of hospitality and leisure.

An afternoon session for 50 children from Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools in the city-region took part in a tour which was tailored to their needs.

They found out what goes into putting on the largest metropolitan festival in the UK, and they heard from a range of staff members who work in sound and lighting, catering and set design.

Sacha Lord, Co-creator of Parklife and Greater Manchester’s Night-time Economy Adviser, said: “Events such as Parklife don’t happen overnight.

“They take months of preparation, planning and hard work behind the scenes, and we have been excited to showcase this to the attendees today.

“These students may be the set designers, musicians or hospitality operators of the future, and after an extremely difficult few years for the industry, we hope today’s behind-the-scenes access has provided an exciting and inspiring overview of what a career in events can look like.”

Schools and SEND schools taking part in the morning Workplace Safari session included Oulder Hill, in Rochdale, The Radclyffe School, in Oldham, Melland High, in Manchester, Castlefield School, in Manchester and Parrenthorn in Bury.

Schools participating in the afternoon session included The Canterbury Centre, in Salford, Newbridge, in Oldham, Elms Bank, in Bury, The Grange, in Manchester and Redwood in Rochdale.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, GMCA Lead for Young People, said: “Meet Your Future has been vital in bridging the gap between school and the workplace, helping connect young people in Greater Manchester to the different opportunities out there.

“We know the coronavirus crisis has been difficult for young people in our city-region and it is vital work experience and shadowing opportunities are back on track, to build ambitions on the types of careers available.

“It is fantastic Sacha was able to show that Parklife isn’t just all about the music but could also be a career opportunity for some of the young people attending the workshop today.”