West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges secures new £5.5m fund to support ‘raising the bar on skills’

West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges (WYCC) has secured £5.5m worth of funding under its new Joint Venture agreement.

Formed back in 2002, the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges (WYCC) unites Bradford College, Calderdale College, Kirklees College, Leeds College of Building, Leeds City College, Shipley College and Wakefield College.

The funding will enable low skilled, low paid workers to receive training that will support career progression and reduce benefit dependency, whilst also focusing on increasing high level skills in response to the City Region’s priority skills agenda using European Structural and Investment Funding (ESIF).

Ian Billyard, chair of WYCC and principal of Leeds College of Building, spoke of how pleased the WYCC was with the funding during a Leeds City Region Annual Skills Network Conference, held at Bradford College’s Advanced Technology Centre.

Ian said: “The Joint Venture has elevated WYCC’s capabilities in terms of collaborative performance and we are very pleased to have been able to secure the latest rounds of funding as a result.

“The projects support the work of the colleges in Leeds City Region and demonstrate the vital role we play in supporting learners and communities and contributing to local economic growth by raising the bar on skills.”

Stephanie Burras, chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP’s) Employment and Skills Panel, added: “I am immensely pleased to see that the focus of two new funding projects in Leeds City Region will be inclusive growth.

“Our research tells us that supporting in-work progression, through training in collaboration with employers, can have significant impact on raising people, particularly women, out of low pay and in-work poverty.

“Through projects such as these we will meet the objectives of our Employment and Skills Plan for the City Region: Skilled People, Better Jobs 2016-2020, ensuring our workforce has more and higher level skills to meet the demand of the jobs of the future.”

Louise Tearle, Partnership Director for WYCC, also commented: “The recent funding secured marks the next phase of partnership working, led by the Consortium, which will provide sustainable, long-term solutions to the local economy.

“Our ambitions are to continue to enhance the already extensive contribution we’ve made to increasing skill levels and the positive impact on individuals and business through strong collaboration with local partners and employers.”