West Yorkshire colleges team up with consulting firm in bid to boost region’s finance skills

Several colleges have joined forces with regional strategy consultancy Whitecap Consulting in a bid to enhance finance and professional services skills in West Yorkshire.

The project, funded by the UK government’s Local Skills Improvement Funding (LSIF), seeks to address current and future skill priorities in the region and has been set up in response to the recommendations of the Yorkshire and Humber Financial and Professional Services Skills Commission.

The partnership will contribute to the development of new courses and curriculum to meet the evolving demands of the FinTech sector.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rebecca Fores, associate dean of higher education at University Centre Leeds, said: "This is an important programme of work via which we seek to develop a shared understanding of what skills are required by the region and a vision for how businesses, education providers, local government, and others can work together to develop them.

Several colleges have joined forces with regional strategy consultancy Whitecap Consulting to enhance finance and professional services skills in West Yorkshire. Left to right: Rebecca Fores (Luminate Education Group), Julian Wells (Whitecap Consulting), Joanne Patrickson (WYCC), Jack Leng (Calderdale College), Carol Queralt Smith Vila (Whitecap Consulting)Several colleges have joined forces with regional strategy consultancy Whitecap Consulting to enhance finance and professional services skills in West Yorkshire. Left to right: Rebecca Fores (Luminate Education Group), Julian Wells (Whitecap Consulting), Joanne Patrickson (WYCC), Jack Leng (Calderdale College), Carol Queralt Smith Vila (Whitecap Consulting)
Several colleges have joined forces with regional strategy consultancy Whitecap Consulting to enhance finance and professional services skills in West Yorkshire. Left to right: Rebecca Fores (Luminate Education Group), Julian Wells (Whitecap Consulting), Joanne Patrickson (WYCC), Jack Leng (Calderdale College), Carol Queralt Smith Vila (Whitecap Consulting)

“This collaboration will play a key role in enhancing skills, fostering partnerships and driving economic growth in the region.”

The project will be led by Luminate Education Group, but will also aim to benefit colleges within the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges, including Calderdale and Shipley College, which will also receive investment for fintech from LSIF. The colleges plan to utilise the research to develop new learning opportunities.

Julian Wells, director at Whitecap Consulting, described the partnership as a “pivotal step towards fortifying the skills base in West Yorkshire's finance and professional services sector”.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.