Impressive work between learning providers and the private sector

West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce today praises some of the impressive work going on between the region’s learning providers and the private sector.

As the Chamber continues its management of the Local Skills Improvement Plans for both North and West Yorkshire (the latter alongside Mid Yorkshire Chamber) it is coming across fantastic examples of the education and private sector working together to achieve common goals.

In one instance, Shipley College had collaborated to offer T-Level students the opportunity high level on the job learning at Bradford Royal Infirmary via an integrated learning experience.

The college has also accessed Local Skills Improvement Funding (LSIF) to train students and health and social care professionals on how to use world-class simulators. This has seen them work with machinery created by Gaumard on full suite of four programmable simulators, including a newborn baby, paediatric model, pregnant female and male simulators, allowing them to create a wide range of clinical or care conditions or tasks.

Ben McKay from Bradford Teaching Hospitals, said: “The aim of offering the industry placements within Bradford Royal Infirmary is to get the T Level cadets employment ready, so with this in mind, Bradford Teaching Hospitals will be offering interviews for Health Care Assistant posts to our T-Level students from Shipley College towards the completion of their course.”

Meanwhile, an impressive collaboration between Selby College and Chamber patron members Drax is ensuring students are developing the skills needed in innovative clean technologies which will help to drive a zero-carbon economy.

The partnership enabled the College to invest in ICT equipment to support remote learning, as well as state-of-the-art engineering equipment and a series of events on green energy.

In 2021, Selby College and Drax further enhanced its partnership with a brand-new training programme in Carbon Capture and Storage technologies.

After securing funding from the Department for Education’s Strategic Development Fund, Selby College worked with Drax to develop the programme, which will enable Drax’s employees to develop the skills needed to operate the vital climate-saving technologies of the future.

The course is currently underway, providing both current and future Drax employees with the vital skills needed to operate critical negative emissions technology, ensuring the region is at the forefront of the green industrial revolution.

This is the UK’s first educational programme in carbon capture and is available to other organisations and individuals interested in developing their knowledge and understanding about carbon capture and storage. The course is being designed as an introduction to the subject, with the aim of adding more modules and units over time.

Bruce Heppenstall, Plant Director at Drax, said: “It’s critical businesses like Drax have access to a skilled workforce, with the knowledge and expertise to operate negative emissions technologies that will be vital in enabling the UK to reach its legally binding net zero targets.

“Through our partnership with Selby College, we are able to futureproof our workforce, ensuring we are at the forefront of the green industrial revolution, creating and protecting thousands of jobs here in the North. Deploying BECCS at Drax will not only deliver for the environment, but it will also deliver for the economy. It could kickstart a whole new sector of the economy and be the catalyst for a post-covid economic recovery.”

To find out more about the Local Skills Improvement plans : Local Skills Improvement Plan – West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce (wnychamber.co.uk)