Areas of Work: Employment and Skills 

We work closely with employers and partners in the city region in order to improve skills, increase productivity and boost employment. Our core objectives are to:

Develop a workforce that has the skills our businesses need 
Improve the skills of our workforce at all levels 
Increase employer and individual investment in skills 
Tackle unemployment in the city region. 

Action for 2010 – 11

• Build stronger dialogue between employers and skills providers to achieve a better fit between provision and business needs
• Campaign to increase apprenticeships and wider skills investment by employers across the city region
• Encourage employers to support the unemployed back into work with a particular focus on developing employability skills and attitudes
• Promote better informed careers decisions linked to real job market intelligence

Leeds City Region Skills Partnership Agreement

In April 2011 representatives from Further Education Colleges, Higher Education Institutions and private and voluntary sector skills providers formed the Leeds City Region Skills Network, a group that works with the Leeds City Region Employment and Skills Board (ESB) to anticipate and meet the needs of employers and the city region economy. Together they have produced the Leeds City Region Skills Partnership Agreement which details the partnership’s key aims, objectives and responsibilities moving forward. The Agreement was signed on the 14 November 2011 by representatives from the Leeds City Region LEP, the Leeds City Region ESB and the Leeds City Region Skills Network and demonstrates a genuine commitment to working together to stimulate the growth of jobs and investment in the Leeds City Region economy.  

To find out more about the Leeds City Region Skills Network please email louise.tearle@leedscitycollege.ac.uk

The Leeds City Region Skills Partnership Agreement is available to download by clicking the link at the right of this page.

Green Jobs

On 28 November 2011, the Leeds City Region Skills Network held an event at the Think Low Carbon (TLC) Centre, Barnsley College in order to present the findings of some recent research into The Prospects for Green Jobs to 2020, commissioned by Yorkshire Cities. The event was mainly targeted at those individuals within Universities, Colleges and work-based learning providers who are responsible for course content in relevant subjects, Curriculum leaders and Business Development Managers.

Following the event, delegates said that they had a better understanding of the opportunities for “green” job growth as a result of the event and a better understanding of the challenge we face if we are to produce the skilled people that the city region needs if we are to take advantage of this opportunity.

It is clear that improved understanding of the implications of the low carbon economy will result in real change within colleges, Universities and work-based learning providers. Several delegates commented that it had been useful to get an insight into how seriously other institutions were taking this agenda, and they felt this would help them in their discussions with senior management in their own institutions. One respondent said: “the discussion allowed me to clearly understand what I need to do to drive this forward within the college”.

One delegate indicated that his institution would seek to get involved with training linked to the Green Deal as a result of the event. Another said that her institution would seek to work more closely with their Local Authority to identify skills needs.

A full report on the event and all presentations can be downloaded from the panel on the right.