Response to Northern Powerhouse Partnership Educating The North report

Responding to the Northern Powerhouse Partnership Educating The North report, Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority who speaks for the Combined Authority on skills, said:

"As leader of the UK's youngest city, with almost a quarter of population aged under 16, I welcome this report�s focus on better connecting skills education with employers� needs.

�This has been a key focus of the Combined Authority�s work through our pioneering delivery agreements with the City Region�s colleges and our work to train leaders as enterprise advisers.

�We also support the report�s call for greater devolution of the adult education budget and funding for vocational training as a means of tackling the current fragmented system of provision.�

During the last academic year, the Enterprise Adviser Network�s volunteer senior business leaders, created new employer encounters for over 21,000 young peopleand a further 12,000 young people through our innovative #techgoals programme raising awareness about digital careers.

Cllr Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council and Combined Authority member, said:�"Our young people have been let down by lack of consistency in the education sector and we have shown how through local ownership and management of schemes, such as the Devolved Youth Contract, we have delivered better results than one-size-fits-all national approaches.

�We have made the case for the direction and funding of careers education to be devolved and I am pleased that the Northern Powerhouse Partnership�s report highlights the need for local decision-making and power over skills funding.

�And, we fully support the report�s highlighting of the need to identify the establishment of clear career pathways for teenagers as a vital ingredient to tackling the productivity challenge.

�Last year we helped 1,200 businesses offer apprenticeships and we welcome the aspiration for the North of England to be the leading centre for degree and higher-level apprenticeships.�

Find out more about�the Enterprise Advisers scheme on the LEP website (opens in new tab).

Link to the Northern Powerhouse Partnership website (opens in new tab).