Joining forces to bolster education options and regional skills in the Leeds City Region

Leeds Beckett University and Luminate Education Group are working together to increase opportunities and aspirations for students and support the future skills needs of the Leeds City Region. 

This strategic alliance, which supports some 50,000 learners, meets the government’s ambition for greater alignment between further and higher education. It will focus on making educational routes clearer, expanding flexible learning opportunities, engaging further with employers to co-design courses and enhancing apprenticeships into skilled employment.

Bill Jones, CEO at Luminate Education Group, said: “By collaborating with Leeds Beckett University we can respond to local and regional skills priorities, through the development of new courses and routes that meet the needs of employers.

“For students this means more accessible and flexible ways to gain these in-demand skills throughout their education. Our alliance will bring together our shared commitment to opening up access to education and removing any barriers to learning.”

Peter Slee, Vice Chancellor at Leeds Beckett University, added: “This alliance builds on existing strong relationships between our university and Luminate Education Group.

“Working with businesses and employers on a future skilled workforce will bring benefits to people in Leeds – another example of the city’s anchor institutions working together to make a positive contribution to the local and regional economy. We look forward to working with the growing number of partners and stakeholders who are committed to making this collective impact.” 

For the Leeds City Region, the partnership will be dedicated to social mobility and inclusive growth, while equipping learners with the high-level skills that are in strong demand from local businesses.

Leeds Beckett University and Luminate Education Group are both members of the Leeds Anchor Network, which brings together many of the city’s largest employers. The ‘anchors’ work together to see where they can make a real difference to local people’s lives, whether it be through their core work, procurement, as employers or civic partners, or through their environmental impact.

Luminate Education Group is a collective of Yorkshire-based further and higher education providers that consists of: Leeds City College, Leeds Sixth Form College, Pudsey Sixth Form College, Keighley College, Harrogate College, University Centre Leeds and Leeds Conservatoire.

The organisation has around 30,000 students and more than 2,000 members of staff.

Leeds Beckett University, which has more than 22,000 students, has campuses in the city centre and in Headingley and can trace its origins back to 1824. 

Its School of Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management is recognized as a Centre of Excellence by the Institute of Travel and Tourism.