Wakefield Council is set to launch a commission to consider the skills and educational needs of the district.
Created in partnership with the West Yorkshire Mayor, the commission will be carrying out a study to identify ways of ensuring people have the right skills to get them into the kind of employment that will transform the economy of West Yorkshire.
Chaired by Professor Sir Chris Husbands, former Vice-Chancellor at Sheffield Hallam University, the Wakefield Futures Commission will meet for the first time next week.
Professor Sir Chris Husbands said: “Wakefield has a fantastic geographical location and great transport connections. It has amazing people, a proud history and lots of great assets. But higher-level skills provision isn’t in place – and economic growth depends on people.
“If we can design and implement the right route to higher skills and create a more highly skilled population, then it’s a win for individuals, it’s a win for the economy and it’s a win for the Wakefield district.
“This study will look at what Wakefield Council can do, what the West Yorkshire Combined Authority can do, along with what current skills providers and colleges can do. As well as what national government can do to be better placed to meet the challenges of the future.
“By looking at the place-based challenges and bringing together highly thoughtful people to find solutions, we expect this study to be of interest to the Government.
“This is a serious attempt to make a real difference to the economy and draw on local experience to drive national policy change.”
The commission brings together industry experts, from education and economic policy. Between now and June 2025, it will review and carry out research to determine how the district can support more local people to access high skilled jobs and create and attract high-level skilled workers to the area. These are both essential for sustained economic growth.
The place-based study will help to create a framework for a seamless skills system. Once complete, the work will help shape Government policy at a national level.
Cllr Denise Jeffery, Leader of Wakefield Council, said: “We want the very best for our residents. Making sure we can offer opportunities to gain the skills needed for higher paid jobs, as well as bringing investment into our district, remains a top priority.
“We want residents to have access to great higher education options on their doorstep. That’s very important for us to help retain the amazing talent we have here in the district.
“The Commission will help us to make our city even more competitive as a place to learn and do business.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Wakefield is a brilliant district with a bright future – from major investments in housing and regeneration, to the expansion of world-renowned cultural assets like Production Park.
“Yet for too many in Wakefield, a lack of higher education is holding them back from flourishing, with lower than average degree-level attainment compared to the rest of West Yorkshire.
“The findings of this commission will form the building blocks for a stronger, brighter region, where everyone can get the skills they need to succeed and put more money in their pockets.”
Wakefield is England’s largest city without a university. It faces significant challenges in developing and retaining higher-level skills among its residents.
With a population of more than 300,000 Wakefield is below the national and regional average for residents with higher level qualifications, above A-level.
According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, only 28.8% of Wakefield’s population aged 16-64 holds qualifications at Level 4 or above. This figure is substantially below the national average of 46.7% and the Yorkshire and Humber regional average of 41.2%.
Wakefield Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority are committed to addressing this. Earlier this year Wakefield was awarded UNESCO Learning City status and joined the Global Network of Learning Cities (UNESCO GNLC).
Membership to the network shows the Council’s commitment to ensuring a learning system which improves opportunities and provides access to employment, along with education and training, is available to all.
Understanding and responding to Wakefield’s higher-level skills and education challenges is a priority for the West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin, who has pledged to build a “region of learning and creativity” where everyone can get the skills they need to succeed.
At a meeting of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on 12 December, Mayor Brabin unveiled a ten-year, £7 billion Local Growth Plan, which was approved by Cllr Jeffery and other regional leaders.
It aims to halve the number of people in the region with low or no qualifications through a universal skills system, with clear pathways for people of all ages to access the high-quality education and careers of their choice.
The findings of the Wakefield Futures Commission will inform this system, helping ensure that everyone across the region can upskill and retrain throughout their lives, so they can follow their passions, boost their household incomes, support local businesses, and contribute to a growing economy.
The first meeting of the Wakefield Futures Commission is set to take place next week.
