THREE Bury businesses have signed up to become Social Mobility Pledge accredited employers.

Rota Engineering, MW Hargreaves Ltd, and Thumbs Up have been recruited by Bury North MP James Frith to commit to working with local schools to help inform young people of the careers paths available to them, and offer them work experience or apprenticeships.

Businesses signing up to the pledge have also committed to having open recruitment approaches which help open doors to more disadvantaged young people, including name-blind recruitment.

The Social Mobility Pledge was launched by Conservative MP Justine Greening as a commitment to help disadvantaged workers out of poverty with the backing of businesses

Simon Yates of Rota Engineering, which is based in Wellington Street, said: “We are really proud of our record as a local employer in Bury and becoming the first Social Mobility Pledge employer is a great way to celebrate that.

"We believe in Bury and its people, and through our apprenticeship scheme, work with local schools and colleges and open employee recruitment practices we’ll be helping to drive opportunities for a new generation of young people in Bury.”

Mr Frith said: “I passionately believe businesses like Rota, MW Hargreaves Ltd and Thumbs Up are key to tackling social mobility in our area and helping to connect local young people up with the opportunities already on their doorstep. "