A LEADING Bolton businesswoman was among the industry leaders who met at a new panel.

Nicola Hodkinson, director of business services at the Seddon Group, is part of Andy Burnham’s newly-established Business Advisory Panel for Greater Manchester. The group, brought together to advise the mayor on business issues in the city-region, met for the first time in Manchester on Friday.

Ms Hodkinson said: “I’m delighted with how the first meeting went. Everyone had positive things to say about how we move forward in Greater Manchester.

“A lot of what we spoke about was how we help people get the skills they need for not only jobs today, but how we make sure our young people have the right skills for the jobs of the future.

“This panel has the freedom to come up with ideas that will help people across our city-region, which is both authentic and refreshing.

“There is a genuine appetite to make our city-region, with its people and its businesses, the best place to get on.”

The panel has representation from each Greater Manchester borough and is gender-balanced.