Luminate Education Group chief executive, Colin Booth, has described a £10 million funding boost for Leeds as a “positive development” that could help address the city’s post-16 education capacity challenges – provided it is directed towards the areas of greatest need.
The funding, announced by the Department for Education (DfE), is part of a wider £322 million package, including £302 million in college condition allocations (FECCA) for colleges across England. The investment aims to support urgent repairs and improvements to college estates – such as fixing leaking roofs and deteriorating buildings – while also responding to a nationwide increase in student numbers.
Leeds and Greater Manchester were each awarded an additional £10 million in post-16 capacity funding to help them manage a significant surge in 16 to 19 year olds expected in 2025 – 26. In Leeds, projections show this age group will continue to grow until 2030, reaching close to 30,000 young people.
Colin welcomed the announcement, saying: “Today’s announcement represents forward-thinking investment that could benefit both the local economy and young people right across the city. Over recent years, post-16 capacity constraints in Leeds have resulted in growing numbers of young people being unable to access suitable forms of post-16 education.”
The funding is designed to ensure more students can access education and training opportunities, but Colin warned that investment must be targeted carefully.
He explained that while A level provision in the city is relatively abundant – sometimes leading to competition between sixth forms – there are still major gaps in access, particularly in disadvantaged areas: “In Leeds, there is an oversupply and competition between sixth forms for A level students. But in the most disadvantaged postcodes of Leeds, fewer than half of 16 year olds are able or want to study A levels. We need to prioritise expanding capacity in high-demand courses at Levels 1 and 2, and in technical areas like health and care – where the demand from learners and employers is greatest.”
The FECCA portion of the funding will be distributed to 179 college groups across England, based on factors such as recent learning hours, space requirements by subject, and local construction costs. Colleges will have discretion over how to use the funds to improve the condition and sustainability of their buildings, with an emphasis on meeting net zero targets and energy efficiency.
While the new investment marks a significant step forward, further action is likely to be needed in other regions also facing growing pressure on post-16 places. For Leeds, Colin’s comments underscore the importance of strategic planning that aligns funding with both local need and long-term outcomes.
Following the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, Colin Booth, Chief Executive of Luminate Education Group, welcomed the recognition of rising NEET (not in education, employment or training) rates as a national challenge – but warned that without urgent investment in further education, the issue will only deepen.
Colin Booth, Chief Executive of Luminate Education Group, said:
“The Chancellor was right to emphasise growing numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) as a barrier to economic growth and opportunity. Given projections for increased numbers of 16-18-year-olds in the coming years, urgent action is required to ensure NEET rates do not spiral out of control between now and 2030.
Ensuring there is capacity to provide education and training opportunities that lead into employment or further study represents a central mission for further education colleges and should represent a central pillar of the Government’s strategy to reduce NEET rates. Many colleges in areas with already above average NEET rates, such as Leeds, already operate at maximum capacity.
While the current funding environment is predictably tight, investment must be found to grow further education colleges’ student capacity if the Government is serious about reducing NEET rates. Alongside this, it’s critical investment is matched with adequate funding that reduces college teacher recruitment and retention difficulties, as without the staff to educate and train growing numbers of young people, the NEET rate will predictably only rise further.”
As numbers of young people increase nationally, Booth’s message is clear: colleges must be equipped with the space and staffing to deliver on their mission – helping every young person find a meaningful route into work or further learning.
The Chief Executive of Luminate Education Group, Colin Booth OBE, is retiring after 40 years in the education sector.
Colin will continue in his role as Luminate’s Chief Executive until December and will support the transition of his successor once they’re appointed in the next couple of months.
Throughout his career, Colin has transformed the lives of thousands of students through the creation of consistently high-quality education and training provision.
Luminate Education Group has grown significantly during Colin’s tenure; he has ensured members of the group are financially healthy, high quality and innovative institutions that meet regional and national skills needs.
A particular focus of Colin’s work over recent years has been ensuring that young people in Leeds have access to suitable forms of post-16 education. Alongside an over-abundance of academic post-16 options across the city, Colin has long highlighted capacity concerns around delivering the scale of vocational education that Leeds requires.
He said: “I’m incredibly proud of everything we have achieved together at Luminate as a team of staff and leaders and together with all of our key partners.
“Our collective efforts have not only ensured the continued success of our institutions but have also had a profound impact on the communities we serve.”
John Toon, Luminate Education Group’s Chair of Governors, added: “Personally, it has been my pleasure and a privilege to work closely with Colin over the last eight years.
“He has raised expectations around innovation and excellence and has driven teams to exceed expectations, improving the financial and quality performance of all organisations he has worked for.”
Building work on Keighley College’s brand-new manufacturing and engineering hub has been completed.
The project is part of the wider, £12 million creation of Providence Park, a new industrial site being built on the former Universal Mills plot on the corner of Dalton Lane and Bradford Road.
Providence Park is being part-funded, to the tune of £6.5 million, through the Government’s Keighley Towns Fund – with £3 million of that used to produce Keighley College Engineering Hub.
The hub has been designed to take the training of local apprentices and students to the next level, so it can meet the rapidly evolving skills needs of local employers.
The college will now push ahead with kitting out the building with cutting-edge equipment – including a future technologies lab and engineering workshop – ahead of welcoming the first students in September.
Keighley College Principal Kevin O’Hare said: “This is a major milestone for the college, Providence Park and Keighley – and could be a real game-changer for our district and its economy.
“We are privileged to be based in an industrial heartland that continues to build on its proud history, with many of our employers forging ahead into exciting new areas of manufacturing, engineering and technology, including robotics.
“For those businesses to flourish, though, they need a steady stream of apprentices and students who have industry experience and the up-to-date skills needed to join and strengthen their workforce.
“That’s exactly what the engineering hub has been created to help us deliver – and we’ll be strengthening our already deep bonds with the district’s businesses as we develop our offering there, and work together on apprenticeships along with industry placements for our vocational students.
“We can’t wait to show employers, and our learners, around these cutting-edge new facilities which we are delighted to be opening this year, as the college celebrates its 200th anniversary.”
Bradford Council’s Lead Member for Regeneration, Transport and Planning, Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw said: “Alongside the new state-of-the-art manufacturing and engineering hub, Providence Place is also home to five new buildings housing 23 industrial units. We expect about 100 jobs will be created in total across the whole site.
“Keighley has always had a proud manufacturing and engineering heritage. Its Engineering Hub will enable local people to learn highly-specialised skills and create employment opportunities for the future.”
Keighley Towns Fund Chair, Tim Rogers added: “The creation of the Engineering Hub, in partnership with Keighley College, represents an incredible skills and training opportunity for the town.
“We are proud of what is being achieved at Providence Park, which is a really exciting commercial development for Keighley, and the opportunities it will create for generations to come.”
The hub will be able to train up to 120 students or apprentices, plus staff, at any one time. The building’s lower floor will include a fully kitted-out engineering workshop, complete with lathes and milling machines.
The upper level, meanwhile, will have a future technologies lab fitted out with a laser cutter, printing machines and testing equipment, along with two IT rooms and a teaching space.
West Yorkshire’s Mayor, Tracy Brabin, has praised new TV show Dreamers for shining a light on Leeds’ – and the region’s – vibrant performing arts scene.
The six part coming-of-age dance drama, which was filmed in and around the city, is being aired now on Channel 4.
The show follows the ups and downs of a group of dancers who are part of the ‘Chapeltown Collective’, with most of the cast coming from Leeds City College or Leeds Conservatoire.
Ms Brabin, who during her acting career starred in hit TV dramas including Eastenders and Coronation Street, said: “I’m thrilled to see these inspirational dance students starring in this new hit series from Leeds-based production company Duck Soup.
“They are the living proof that if you want to make it as a creative you can make it in West Yorkshire.”
For cast members like Mika Rowe-Bailey and Tyler Pickles, their involvement represents an exciting step into television – and their first brush with fame.
Tyler, a 23 year old Acting graduate from Leeds Conservatoire, plays Liam while Mika, who works and studies at Leeds City College, plays Zaki. They are joined on the show by Leeds City College students Princess Neila Mubaiwa, Demarkus Marks, Lewis Aird, Morgan Reynolds, Keldon Copeland and Luke Tyson.
Mika, 25, said: “Dreamers is a powerful representation of Leeds, particularly the vibrant dance scene in the North.
“It shines a light on the importance of community dance spaces, especially in areas like Chapeltown, and emphasises the strength of community and friendship. The show captures the raw energy and talent that thrives here.
“There’s a wealth of talent here, and Dreamers has also provided opportunities for local people to develop their skills in the film and TV industry. We’re often told to relocate to London or Manchester, but Leeds is a thriving hub for dance and the creative arts.”
Like many of the cast, Mika – who has a performance background in Bradford and Leeds – first got involved after spotting an audition poster, and was cast in 2023.
Tyler, meanwhile, from Pudsey, is a skilled actor, dancer and choreographer. He landed his role after being encouraged by friends and staff at the conservatoire to apply, eventually securing the part of Liam, who he sums up as ‘a bit of a rogue’.
Describing Dreamersas ‘This is England meets Fame’, Tyler said: “It’s something that we all definitely enjoyed being a part of.
“We’ve all kind of developed as a family, not a term I use lightly, because this was our first time doing this. So we were all in it together and went through the entire process together.
“We formed it through improvisation so it’s very much ours as much as it is the director’s.”
The Dreamers’ storylines are inspired by the real story of dance in Leeds – and specifically the example of RJC Dance, in Chapeltown.
As such, the show features lots of intricate dance routines based around the contemporary Afrobeat fusion style – arranged, in large part, by former professional dancer and choreographer Dawn Holgate.
Dawn, a Course Leader in HE Creative Arts at University Centre Leeds, said: “I had a wonderful experience working with the cast and crew. Part of my role was to bring together eleven cast members, most of whom were unfamiliar with each other, and create a sense of unity and camaraderie.
“Their on-screen presence needed to feel like a cohesive collective. It was exciting to experiment, workshop ideas, and play around.
“I’m so excited Dreamers is finally on our screens. It was an honour to be involved and to have played such a key role. Hopefully friends and colleagues will enjoy it.”
Ms Brabin, meanwhile, says West Yorkshire Combined Authority is taking steps to help others break into the performing arts. She said: “I want every creative to have the same opportunities that I had, which is why we’re stepping up with tangible support for freelancers and microbusinesses, and investing over £60 million to provide training opportunities to everyone who needs them.”
Leeds City College, Leeds Conservatoire and University Centre Leeds are all members of Luminate Education Group.
Luminate Education Group is celebrating a key milestone in the transformation of Mabgate Campus, as the £27 million development reaches its topping out stage.
Delivered in partnership with GMI Construction Group, the project is turning a once-derelict site into a flagship centre for adult education in the heart of Leeds. The new development will provide 70,000 sq.ft of high-quality, sustainable learning space and plays a vital role in Luminate’s mission to widen access to education, support progression, and regenerate local communities.
Mabgate Campus is already home to Leeds City College’s RE workshop and studios for Leeds Conservatoire. This next phase of development includes a five-storey campus for University Centre Leeds, a purpose-built space for Leeds City College’s adult learners, and a central atrium cafeteria linking new and existing facilities. The design prioritises sustainability, with low-carbon heating systems and energy-efficient features built in throughout.
The project also includes the sensitive restoration of Studio 24 – a much-loved former arts venue, preserving its character while integrating it into the campus’s future as a creative and inclusive learning environment.
David Warren, Group Vice Principal of Development at Luminate Education Group, said: “This milestone marks another step forward in our commitment to delivering high-quality learning environments. The new facilities will replace outdated buildings, providing cutting-edge spaces for University Centre Leeds and Leeds City College adult students. Thanks to funding from the Department for Education’s capital transformation programme, we are ensuring that more students and adult learners can access the education and training they need. It’s fantastic to see the project progressing so well.”
GMI Construction, a Leeds-headquartered company, began work on the site in 2023.
Ed Weston, Commercial Director for Yorkshire at GMI Construction, added: “Reaching the topping out stage at Mabgate is a key milestone in this landmark development. As a Leeds-based company, we are proud to contribute to the regeneration of this area while enhancing the facilities in this space. This investment will create outstanding opportunities for students and deliver lasting benefits to the region.”
The project forms a key part of Luminate Education Group’s wider strategy to invest in sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality learning environments across the region.
