Partner Perspectives
Strong partnerships are at the heart of everything we do at Hull College.
In our Partner Perspectives series, we talk to the businesses and organisations working alongside us to help shape the skills, knowledge and experience needed for today’s workforce – and tomorrow’s. Through these conversations, we explore how collaboration between education and industry is supporting employers and strengthening the region’s economy to drive future growth.
Hannah Crookes
HEY LSIP Lead
Tell us about your organisation and what you do.
HEY LSIP 2.0 is an employer-led, three-year plan focused on ensuring local skills provision responds to business needs. It has four themes: technical skills; preparation for working life; educational workforce; and knowledge point.
At its heart, the LSIP is about Making Skills Work – strengthening connections between employers and education so people develop the skills they need and businesses can access the workforce required for growth.
The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce is the designated Employer Representative Body (ERB) responsible for the LSIP, which has been developed collaboratively with Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA), local authorities, education providers, the Department of Work and Pensions, sector organisations and employers.
Describe the nature of your partnership with Hull College.
Hull College is an important partner in the development and delivery of HEY LSIP. Debra Gray is a key member of the HEY LSIP Board, representing both Hull College and the Humber Principals Group.
The college has actively supported the LSIP through sector working groups, employer engagement, hosting quarterly forums, sharing information across its networks and providing insight into curriculum planning. It has maintained an open and collaborative relationship with the LSIP team throughout both HEY LSIP 1.0 and the development of HEY LSIP 2.0.
This partnership has strengthened our understanding of the education system, supported employer engagement and curriculum development, reduced duplication and created opportunities for industry and education to collaborate around apprenticeships, work experience and workforce needs.
The success of HEY LSIP 2.0 depends heavily on responsive local providers such as Hull College translating employer intelligence into action.
Why is it important for businesses and organisations to work closely with Further Education providers?
Employers are often the first to identify changing jobs and skills requirements, while education providers are critical to translating that intelligence into relevant training and opportunities.
Employers can help shape curriculum, provide industry insight, offer work placements and apprenticeships, support teaching staff and give learners exposure to real workplaces.
However, particularly for SMEs, time is limited and businesses can experience fatigue from multiple requests for engagement.
HEY LSIP 2.0 therefore aims to make employer engagement easier, better coordinated and more meaningful, reducing duplication and enabling businesses to contribute where they can have the greatest impact.
What skills are employers looking for from the workforce of today – and how are those changing?
Employers need a combination of technical skills, employability skills and positive workplace behaviours.
Demand remains strong for technical and vocational skills across engineering, manufacturing, construction, health and social care, logistics, education and other areas.
However, occupations and skills increasingly cross traditional sector boundaries, which is why HEY LSIP 2.0 takes a predominantly pan-sector approach.
Digital capability, AI and automation, data, cybersecurity and sustainability are becoming increasingly important across the economy. Employers also consistently highlight communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability and positive attitudes.
Leadership and management capability is equally important, particularly as organisations manage technological change and support their workforces to adapt.
How important is it that learners have access to industry-standard facilities and equipment?
Access to industry-standard facilities, technology and equipment is crucial. It helps bridge the gap between learning a skill and confidently applying it in the workplace, providing practical experience and familiarity with current industry environments.
National qualification standards can sometimes struggle to keep pace with technological change. Strong relationships between colleges and employers are therefore essential to ensure learners and teaching staff remain connected to current industry practice.
How do placements, apprenticeships or industry engagement help prepare learners for employment?
Placements, apprenticeships and wider industry engagement provide experiences that cannot always be replicated in the classroom.
Employer projects, mentoring, site visits and workplace experiences help learners understand employer expectations, develop confidence and workplace behaviours, and explore occupations they may not previously have considered.
HEY LSIP 2.0 places significant emphasis on creating more flexible opportunities for businesses to participate. Not every employer can provide a lengthy placement, but many can offer site visits, project briefs, mentoring, careers talks or shorter workplace experiences. Collectively, these activities can make a significant difference to work readiness.
Looking ahead, what opportunities or challenges do you see for your sector or the Humber?
The chamber and HEY LSIP represent employers across all sectors. The Humber has significant economic opportunities, but realising them will depend on having the right workforce capability.
Hull and East Yorkshire has particular strengths in energy, ports and logistics, manufacturing, construction and agri-food, alongside opportunities in digital technologies, professional services and emerging industries.
Cleaner energy, digital technology and automation will create new jobs while transforming existing roles. The challenge is ensuring the skills system can respond quickly enough, particularly when employers already report recruitment difficulties and existing employees increasingly require upskilling.
We must also ensure the educational workforce has sufficient capacity and capability to deliver this training. This is why HEY LSIP 2.0 includes a dedicated educational workforce theme covering technical teaching, support functions and early years.
We therefore need to look beyond today’s vacancies and work collectively to anticipate future requirements.
Why do partnerships like this matter for the wider Humber region?
No single organisation can address the Humber’s skills challenges alone. Economic opportunities cross organisational and geographical boundaries, requiring effective collaboration between employers, colleges, universities, training providers, local government and wider partners.
Strong partnerships enable us to share intelligence, reduce duplication and turn employer needs into practical opportunities for learners.
Ultimately, successful skills partnerships benefit everyone: learners gain stronger pathways into sustainable careers; employers access the talent they need; education remains connected to industry; and the Humber is better equipped to attract investment, improve productivity and achieve long-term growth.
