“This vital and exciting development will provide a ladder of opportunity for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and improve the prestige of skills development.” Those were the words of Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow and Chair of the Education Select Committee as he provided the keynote address to a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the UK’s Innovation Corridor on Monday 29 April 2019.

This vital and exciting development will provide a ladder of opportunity for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and improve the prestige of skills development.” Those were the words of Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow and Chair of the Education Select Committee as he provided the keynote address to a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the UK’s Innovation Corridor on Monday 29 April 2019.

The meeting was the launchpad for the UK’s first ever Regional Skills Concordat, a unique and innovative declaration of collaborative intent by the twelve Further Education Colleges and College Groups serving the Corridor from London to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Over 40 attendees came together at the meeting, representing large and small employers, including AstraZeneca and CODEM Composites, local authorities and LEPs along the Corridor, think tanks and industry bodies, to hear how the Colleges have agreed to work together to tackle some key challenges within the skills system.

The Concordat signals the Colleges’ intent to work together on curriculum development, teacher recruitment and employer responsiveness, especially in overlooked or emerging sectors and to support a more regional approach to careers education and skills competitions. Supported by the LSCC (London Stansted Cambridge Consortium), the body behind the UK’s Innovation Corridor, the Colleges will also speak with one voice in making the case to government for future policy and funding changes.

Dr Ann Limb CBE, the independent business Chair of the LSCC, led the event and said, “The future is bright for the UK’s Innovation Corridor, and now is the right time for collective action on skills and productivity. I am determined that the work of FE should be publicly affirmed and I am delighted that the Colleges in the region have come together to bring coherence to our FE offer in a way that has not been done elsewhere.”

The initial signatories of the Concordat are Peterborough Regional College, Cambridge Regional College, iMET, Harlow College, Stansted Airport College, North Hertfordshire College, Hertford Regional College, Capel Manor College, ADA, the National College for Digital Skills, Waltham Forest College, Capital City Colleges Group and New City College Group.

The Consortium next intends to extend commitment to the Concordat to employers, LEPs, local authorities and universities, developing a genuine regional skills ecosystem for the benefit of local people.

You can find out more about the Concordat here, or by following @UKICNews on Twitter. If you want to get involved, contact the Consortium’s Director, John McGill.

Photo: Left to right: Neil Bentley-Gockmann, CEO, World Skills; Kurt Hintz, Capital City Group; Rt Hon. Robert Halfon MP, Chair of the House of Commons Education Select Committee; Dr Ann Limb CBE, Chair, LSCC; John McGill, CEO, LSCC; Jo Sainsbury, Managing Director, iMET; Tony Jones, Chief Executive, One Nucleus.