Radical plan to improve job skills in region

BUSINESS, colleges and councils are targeting £15m worth of Government funding with an ambitious plan to make sure Yorkshire workers have the skills for 70,000 jobs set to be created in this decade.
Peter Box, chairman of the Leeds City RegionPeter Box, chairman of the Leeds City Region
Peter Box, chairman of the Leeds City Region

Ideas for driving up skills standards include greater involvement of business with underperforming schools, extra training for teachers in English and maths and employers working more closely with colleges and universities to design courses.

Sectors such as health, retailing, hotels and catering and business services are expected to create thousands of new jobs in the Leeds City Region area between now and 2020.

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The plan will be used to help make the case to Ministers that control over the millions of pounds the Government spends every year on skills should be moved from Whitehall to Yorkshire.

Some skills money was devolved last year as part of a ‘city deal’ agreed with the city region but the area has ambitions to take over more responsibility.

Wakefield Council chief executive Joanne Roney, one of the leading figures behind the plan, said: “We have already unlocked around £5m and there is about £15m more that we could use to help address this skills gap.”

Alongside skills, the group of authorities is pooling money and securing Government funds to spend on planned transport and infrastructure improvements.

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Peter Box, chairman of the Leeds City Region and leader of Wakefield Council, said: “Skills is one of the key issues for this area and as part of the city deal all the authorities have focused on working much closer together to make a real difference.”