Future Humber

Future Humber brings businesses, organisations and leaders together around a shared ambition for Humber: to be globally recognised, confident in its identity, united in its voice and delivering long-term growth and prosperity.

Our work focuses on the big opportunities and challenges that will shape the region’s future, particularly around place, investment and talent.

We promote Humber, help connect and convene its business community, and create the conversations and partnerships that can turn economic opportunity into tangible outcomes for the region.

Hull College is an important part of the wider Future Humber network and our relationship reflects the increasingly important connection between education and the economy.

We want education providers involved in conversations about Humber’s future from the outset. Whether we are talking about major investment, changing skills requirements, young people entering the workforce or how we attract and retain talent, Hull College has an important perspective to bring.

Our partnership is therefore about more than individual projects. It is about creating stronger links between education and employers and making sure the needs and ambitions of both are better understood.

Because we cannot talk seriously about economic growth without talking about people.

Humber has enormous opportunities ahead of it, but investment alone does not create prosperity. We need local people with the skills, confidence and opportunities to participate in that growth.

Businesses have a responsibility to articulate what they need, but also to engage earlier with education. Further Education providers need genuine insight into how industries and workplaces are changing.

The closer that relationship becomes, the better equipped we are to create pathways into meaningful employment and respond to the skills needs of the economy.

Technical skills remain incredibly important, particularly given Humber’s strengths and opportunities across sectors such as energy, manufacturing, ports and logistics.

But what we increasingly hear from employers is the importance of behaviours alongside qualifications: communication, adaptability, confidence, problem-solving, digital capability and a willingness to continue learning.

Technology is changing roles quickly, so we cannot necessarily predict every job somebody entering education today will have during their career.

Developing people who are curious, resilient and able to adapt is becoming just as important as preparing them for a particular role.

It is hugely important. The closer the learning environment can be to the environment people will encounter in employment, the more confident and prepared they can be when they enter the workplace.

It also sends an important message to young people. Humber is home to globally significant industries and businesses operating at an incredibly high level. Our education and training environments should reflect the scale of that opportunity and allow learners to see that they can build ambitious careers here.

They make employment real.

There is a huge difference between hearing about an industry and walking into a workplace, meeting the people doing those jobs and understanding how an organisation actually operates.

That experience builds confidence, networks and understanding. It can also introduce young people to careers they simply did not know existed.

This is where employers have a particularly important role. If we want a stronger future workforce, businesses need to open their doors and give people meaningful opportunities to experience the world of work.

Humber has a remarkable economic opportunity. Our strengths in energy, ports, manufacturing, logistics and emerging technologies put the region in a strong position, alongside the investment already taking place and the potential still ahead.

One of our biggest challenges is ensuring that growth translates into opportunity for people who live here.

That means addressing skills gaps, attracting and retaining talent and creating clearer routes between education and employment. It also means tackling the number of young people who are currently disconnected from education, employment or training.

If businesses, education and the public sector approach those challenges collectively, there is a significant opportunity not simply to grow Humber’s economy, but to make that growth more inclusive.

Economic development, education, skills, investment and place are interconnected.

The decisions being made by businesses affect education, and the opportunities available through education affect the workforce businesses will depend upon in years to come.

Strong partnerships allow us to move beyond talking about individual organisational priorities and focus instead on what Humber needs collectively.

Ultimately, if we can better connect our businesses, education providers and people, we have a much stronger chance of ensuring the investment and opportunities coming into Humber translate into lasting prosperity for the region.