Leeds firms urged to address skills shortages

Businesses in the city are being encouraged by Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (the LEP) to raise the skills of the local workforce to boost productivity.
West Yorkshire has one of the most diverse economies in the UK, yet the region still falls short of national productivity levelsWest Yorkshire has one of the most diverse economies in the UK, yet the region still falls short of national productivity levels
West Yorkshire has one of the most diverse economies in the UK, yet the region still falls short of national productivity levels

Leeds firms can access support to fund apprentices and work placements, find skilled graduates and join free training courses.

West Yorkshire has one of the most diverse economies in the UK, yet despite these strengths, the region still falls short of national productivity levels. Reports from the ONS Annual Population Survey suggest differences in skills may impact performance, however due to constraints related to a lack of funds and time, employers in West Yorkshire under-invest in training and development.

The LEP is working with businesses to identify skills gaps, navigate the complex skills landscape and find tailored solutions to help them thrive and grow.

With existing relationships with all public education providers in the region, the LEP has been instrumental in helping SMEs build relationships with local colleges and universities and connect with senior leaders in schools to develop long-term talent pipelines to drive growth and productivity.

Wakefield-based Super Chatpal Business Automation Ltd has been working with the LEP since the start of the year. After identifying skills gaps in its marketing department, the LEP connected the digital business to Leeds Beckett University.

The new relationship has enabled Super Chatpal to access an internship bursary scheme and advertise other roles through the university’s careers portal.

Rajeev Gupta, Director at Super Chatpal Business Automation Ltd, said: “The LEP has been tremendously helpful in supporting our business growth. We needed to reach a wider audience for our digital sales assistant product.

“Our adviser introduced us to Leeds Beckett University to help us recruit a Marketing Assistant to make our products and services visible to small and medium-sized businesses across the nation and beyond.

“As a result, we were nominated and won the prestigious Hermes Creative International Platinum Award in May 2021.”

If you would like to connect with your local education provider or learn more about how your business could benefit from working with the LEP, visit the-lep.com/skillssupport to arrange a call with an adviser.

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