Skills

One of the advantages of a Leeds location is the availability of a large workforce with the skills to meet the needs of a diverse and growing economy.

Leeds City Council, its partners, and a wide range of training organisations work closely with companies to ensure that the skills of the workforce continue to match the city’s increasing demands.

Leeds Skills Board has been established to encourage more targeted investment in workforce skills and better alignment between the requirements of employers and suppliers of training and education.

There are over 60,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students at Leeds’ two internationally acclaimed universities. Leeds Metropolitan University enjoys one of the highest employment rates for its graduates. In 2007, 92.7% of all first degree students found work or further study within six months of graduating.

The University of Leeds is one of the UK’s largest universities with more than 32,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from 130 countries around the world. It is one of the top ten universities in the UK and a member of the Russell Research Group of ‘research intensive’ universities.

Both universities have internationally recognised business schools. Leeds Metropolitan University’s recently completed Rose Bowl is the new home for Leeds Business School, the School of Law and Leeds School of Accountancy and Financial Services.

Leeds Trinity University College has just under 3,000 postgraduate and undergraduate students and was granted the power to award its own degrees in July 2009. The Destination of Leavers survey shows 93% of students get a job or go on to further study within six months of graduation.

The White Rose University Consortium is a unique partnership which brings together Yorkshire’s research intensive universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York. The White Rose Universities work together to enhance their ability to achieve the highest levels of international excellence in the generation and transfer of knowledge.

Leeds is the second largest provider of further education for young people in England. There are five colleges of further education and two higher education colleges in Leeds with a total of over 80,000 students. In addition, 35 secondary schools in Leeds have sixth form provision.

As well as further and higher education institutions, there are 14 training providers in Leeds delivering a range of programmes from NVQ 1 to Advanced Modern Apprenticeships.

Leeds provides specialist training in many areas including leading edge healthcare training at the city’s two major teaching hospitals and the most up to date printing and publishing techniques at Leeds City College.

Leeds is also home to Electronics Yorkshire, which provides bespoke training for electronics companies and those working in the industry.

West Yorkshire New Technology Institute, based in Leeds, provides businesses and individuals with access to bespoke training courses focusing on systems management, programming and software applications.

[Last update 5/7/10]