West Yorkshire now has a roadmap to ensure opportunity matches with talent - Mandy Ridyard
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin kicked off Bradford Manufacturing Week last week at ASG Produmax – the aerospace engineering firm I am proud to have been a part of since 1997, located right in the heart of Baildon.
At ASG Produmax, we manufacture and supply safety critical components to global giants like Boeing and Airbus. But more widely, we are one of thousands of innovative firms that manufacture in West Yorkshire and sell to the world - a sector that employs over 110,000 people and forms the bedrock of our regional economy.
Whilst advanced machinery and technology is critical to remaining competitive on a global stage, the success of this sector is built on the ingenuity, skills and ambition of its people. And it is this golden thread of talent that is also necessary to drive prosperity across our region.
For our economy to thrive in an increasingly competitive world, we cannot simply do more of the same. That is why the recent approval of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s new business cluster strategy, co-created with businesses, is so important to our future growth as a region.
This strategy focuses on the growth of six West Yorkshire powerhouse clusters:
•Advanced Manufacturing in West Yorkshire with the largest manufacturing workforce in the north which is vital for UK and global business.
•Our rapidly growing £21bn Financial and Professional Services sector, recognised as the Northern Square mile and England’s biggest outside of London.
•Our Healthtech innovation sector, supercharged for growth by our £160m investment zone and global connections.
•A rapidly growing $5bn Digital and Technology ecosystem, forging the next wave of industry-leading startups and next-generation tech development.
•A dynamic Creative Industries sector. A growing rival to the south; home to C4, Bradford's City of Culture and host of the Turner Prize, with access to new £150m 'Priority Place' funding.
•The £11bn growing Green Economy. Opportunities to invest in the Net Zero Frontier and next generation of hydrogen, green tech and retrofitting solutions to power Britain's sustainable future.
This approach - identifying our fastest growing industries and helping them to grow even faster, with support to access finance, workspace and markets – provides a clear roadmap. It signals to the world where our strengths lie and where the opportunities for investment and growth are greatest.
But a strategy, no matter how well-conceived, is only as good as the people who bring it to life. The success of every single one of these clusters hinges on one non-negotiable asset: a pipeline of skilled, motivated, and adaptable talent.
As a business leader myself, I know that finding the right people is the single biggest challenge and the most critical determinant of success. The right talent means business plans are achieved and new innovative ideas are born.
Apprenticeships and lifelong learning are the lifeblood of sectors like manufacturing, providing the technical skills and hands-on experience that keep our industries competitive.
And talent isn’t only confined to apprenticeships.
In West Yorkshire, blessed with seven world-class universities producing over 35,000 graduates each year, we are taking practical steps to connect our businesses with this incredible talent pool: Our ‘Graduates West Yorkshire’ programme is a prime example. It’s a simple, powerful idea - we help small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to hire the graduate talent they need to grow.
The early results are promising. My message to every SME leader in West Yorkshire is this: if you are looking to innovate, to expand, to future-proof your business, there is a graduate in our talent pool who can help you do it.
By bridging the gap between education and industry, and by championing vocational pathways alongside academic ones, we ensure that opportunity is accessible to everyone.
Connecting world class talent with world class opportunity is critical to the growth of our region.
Ultimately, our strategy is about creating a self-reinforcing cycle of success. By focusing on our clusters, we attract investment and create demand for high-value jobs. By investing in our talent pipelines – through graduates, apprenticeships, and skills programmes – we supply the people that businesses need to thrive.
This is what a truly integrated economic ecosystem looks like. It’s one where our collective success is intertwined. ‘Small Business September’ recently, rightfully highlighted the importance of SME's to the West Yorkshire economy. It also highlighted the one thing that powers them all: Our people.
The roadmap for a brighter West Yorkshire is complete. We have identified our power clusters, and we are committed to fuelling them with a world-class talent pipeline.
Mandy Ridyard is finance director at ASG Produmax and business advisor to the Mayor of West Yorkshire.