By Clare Fitzgerald, Group Head of Business Development at Luminate Education Group
This year, Luminate Education Group, which runs a number of colleges and high education institutions across Yorkshire, is proud to relaunch our 100 in 100 campaign. The aim is to secure 100 new apprenticeships in just 100 days. Previously, this initiative has connected dozens of young people with meaningful career opportunities, and given over 100 employers the skilled support they needed to grow.
The impact was clear. Apprentices gained confidence, qualifications, and a future. Employers gained motivated team members who made a difference from day one. And, crucially, it helped address some of the gaps in priority sectors such as health and social care, education, and manufacturing – three of the region’s largest employers.
Across Yorkshire, employers are facing a familiar challenge: finding and developing the skilled workers they need to grow and thrive.
Only 0.3% of people in our region hold a trade apprenticeship qualification – a strikingly low figure given the scale of workforce demand. That’s why apprenticeships are more important than ever: they’re one of the most practical ways for businesses to grow their own skilled talent, while giving local people access to sustainable, rewarding careers.
As I step into my new role as Group Head of Business Development at Luminate, I’m focused on strengthening apprenticeship opportunities across West and North Yorkshire – making sure they work as well as possible for both learners and employers.
Every week, I hear stories from both employers and apprentices about the positive impact of apprenticeships. Apprentices are taking on new responsibilities, often moving into leadership roles, and regularly progressing onto higher-level qualifications. We’re building a thriving alumni community that demonstrates the long-term value apprenticeships can deliver.
At Keighley College, which celebrates its 200-year anniversary this year, we’ve run successful apprenticeships with local employers since the 1950s. Many of those early apprentices went on to play pivotal roles in their sectors – from manufacturing and skilled trades, which still employ tens of thousands locally, to professional and technical roles that are now among the region’s fastest-growing.
That idea of “see it to be it” really matters. The best way to inspire someone to take up an apprenticeship is to let them hear directly from those who have already benefited. Recently, for example, Roger Page – a former Keighley College apprentice who went on to build a successful career in aviation – returned to share his story with current apprentices. Hearing directly from someone who started where they are now, and who has gone on to achieve so much, shows what’s possible.
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.
As businesses across Yorkshire grapple with widening skills gaps and the need to build future-ready workforces, apprenticeships are once again taking centre stage. At the heart of this is Kelly Marie McAllister, recently appointed Group Director of Apprenticeships at Luminate Education Group – one of the largest college groups in the UK.
With 16 years of experience in further education and apprenticeships, Kelly joined Luminate with a clear ambition: to drive growth, enhance quality, and ensure apprenticeship delivery meets the needs of both learners and industry – locally, regionally and nationally.
“I was ready to take the knowledge and expertise I had developed over my career and put it into practice on a larger scale,” says Kelly. “Luminate is the fourth largest college group in the country, and the opportunity to help shape its apprenticeship strategy genuinely excited me.”
A Vision Built on Experience
Kelly’s experience in the sector has been a powerful influence on her leadership style. Her ethos centres on being a “positive disruptor” – using her platform not only to shape apprenticeship strategy but also to widen participation, drive innovation, and advocate for long-lasting change.
“My experience has given me the confidence to use my voice. I’m passionate about providing life-changing opportunities for those entering apprenticeships – and also for those working within the sector,” she explains.
Now in post, she has quickly established a clear set of priorities: growth, quality, culture and reputation. One of her first actions has been to strengthen Luminate’s team of apprenticeship specialists across both employer engagement and teaching and assessment. But just as crucial is the work she’s leading externally.
“We’re developing new and exciting networks regionally and nationally for both employers and apprenticeship specialists. Collaboration is key if we’re serious about tackling shared challenges around skills.”
Addressing the Region’s Skills Needs
Luminate’s apprenticeship provision has a broad footprint, including Leeds City College, Harrogate College and Keighley College – each with its own local identity and employer needs. Kelly is acutely aware of how critical it is to align apprenticeship delivery with those local priorities.
“We’re seeing acute shortages in sectors like construction, engineering and manufacturing, and health and care,” she says. “These are being exacerbated by a lack of qualified tutors leaving industry for teaching roles in FE. That’s why employer collaboration is so important – so we can share their expertise with the next generation, their future workforce.”
As part of her strategic approach, Kelly is keen to balance national data with real-world employer insight. She values the recent creation of Skills England, which is set to provide national direction, but believes that on-the-ground engagement is just as vital.
“I’m passionate about developing a destination-led curriculum. Skills England and labour market data give us the headlines, but meeting directly with local employers – from microbusinesses to SMEs and large levy payers – gives us the context. You need both to make informed decisions.”
Evolving How Apprenticeships Are Delivered
Internally, Kelly is also rethinking how the Group engages with employers through redesigned Employer Boards. The aim is to deepen partnership working and ensure feedback directly informs curriculum development and delivery. At a time when employer participation is often a limiting factor in the number of apprenticeships taking place, strong collaboration can ensure that the number of apprenticeships on offer more closely meets demand.
“We’ve updated our terms of reference and are really driving forward the idea of collaboration across the group. It’s about co-creation – building pathways that work for businesses as well as learners.”
This evolution is particularly relevant as apprenticeships continue to shift in public perception. Kelly believes strongly in reframing the apprenticeship offer – not as a second-choice alternative to university, but as a high-quality, sought after route that takes learners directly into the workplace, or even to degree level and beyond.
She’s also focused on inclusivity – ensuring that apprenticeship opportunities reach underrepresented communities and learners who might otherwise miss out.
Looking Ahead
Kelly’s long-term vision for apprenticeships at Luminate is ambitious, but it’s rooted in a strong belief in the power of collaboration and civic responsibility.
“We’re not just here to respond to employer needs – we want to lead. Apprenticeships should be transformative for individuals, businesses, and entire communities.”
As Yorkshire and the UK continue to invest in skills and growth, leaders like Kelly are ensuring that apprenticeship delivery is more than reactive – it’s strategic, collaborative and future-facing.
The country’s finances, as the autumn budget has just starkly reminded us, are in dire straits – which means how we choose to spend public money is more important than ever, writes Kevin O’Hare, Principal of Keighley College.
That is especially true in the under-resourced field of state education, which has such a key role to play in equipping our young people (and adults) with the skills the country needs.
That is why we at Keighley College – along with the Association of Colleges and many schools and academies – welcome the new value for money review of proposed new ‘free schools’ that has been announced by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. This will involve scrutinising 44 proposals that were approved, in principle, by central government under the previous administration. Those include plans for New College Keighley, an academic sixth form college that would be run by the New Collaborative Learning Trust (NCLT) and increase sixth form provision in the district by 1,000 places*.
Announcing the review, Ms Phillipson made it clear that her focus will be on avoiding the ‘over-supply of places’ which, as well as representing poor value, ‘can be detrimental to the other, more established’ schools and colleges in the relevant areas.
And this touches upon the very heart of the matter.
Creating a destabilising surplus
Supporters of the free schools programme, championed by the last government, claim these new schools and colleges help to plug educational gaps while raising standards and creating fresh opportunities.
Those arguments may have some merit in specific circumstances, but only if these new institutions are actually needed in the areas concerned in the first place. That is precisely what the new review will be considering.
A report by Schools Week last year showed that around three in five planned free school places were scheduled to open in areas that had increasing numbers of surplus places. That national picture is reflected locally: in Keighley, for example, we know that currently we only have around 800 sixth form students across the district. So quite how those 1,000 extra places that New College Keighley is targeting will be filled, is a mystery.
Indeed, a recent Bradford Council document – Post 16 Sufficiency Assessment for Bradford – noted that not only was there already more than enough A level and other Level 3 qualification provision, but that what the local authority area is actually crying out for is more educational places for lower level courses. The report states that while ‘supply of Level 3 provision is…now broadly in line with need’, there is ‘significant demand for pre-Level 3 provision’.
Redirecting urgently needed funding
For Keighley, and the Bradford District, the additional A Level places that would be created by the proposed new college are not only not needed but would risk destabilising other local education providers and, ultimately, wasting public money. That is not just our view but one shared by the leaders of eight local schools and three further education colleges.
By creating an over-supply of educational places and aggressive competition, we would be facing a situation where either the new college fails or student numbers drop away at one or more of the existing colleges, thereby threatening their survival.
Any of those scenarios would represent an unacceptable waste of public funds and risk damaging, rather than enhancing, the level of local academic attainment by spreading the number of student places – and so funding – too thinly.
The value for money review offers the Department for Education the chance to identify and cancel such expensive red herrings and, instead, look at where the money could be more wisely spent. We would contend that supporting the growing demand for T Levels plus other vocational or technical qualifications, which will help tackle the country’s skills gap, would be a great place to start.
Education for all
When we campaigned last year, as a member of the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges, against the then-government’s free schools plans, we and our partners raised the very same concerns that Ms Phillipson is now seeking to address.
We are confident this review will support our contention that, for most areas, these free schools and colleges would represent an unnecessary and costly distraction.
If so, we hope the Education Secretary will follow the logic of her argument and redirect the funds that are saved from scrapping such projects into our existing post-16 education provision: with a sharp focus on where additional places are required to meet local need.
A push for ‘elite’ provision, rather than local demand, was actually behind the previous government’s support for many of the new free sixth forms it approved in principle – which included proposals by Eton College and Star Academies Trust.
By conducting a thorough review, based on what represents the best possible value for public money, the new government can cancel some of these unneeded projects and put the funds to much better use. That would represent an important affirmation that raising the educational bar for the many, and not just a select few, is at the heart of its mission.
This thought leadership piece was recently published in The Yorkshire Post.
Three of our staff members have attended Royal Garden Parties after being recognised for their exceptional services to education, skills and local communities.
Director: Quality of Education Carol Layall, Head of Public Services at Leeds City College Tom Griffiths, and Progress and Attendance Mentor at Keighley College, Fiona Thompson BEM, were all invited to Buckingham Palace in May.
Carol and Tom attended an education and skills focused King’s Garden Party on 14 May, while Fiona attended a separate King’s Garden Party the following week. All three had been nominated for the honour due to their exceptional contributions to the communities they serve.
During their visits they each enjoyed an afternoon of entertainment, afternoon tea and a chance to mingle with members of the Royal Family – while also having a chance to meet and network with other celebrated individuals from across the country.
A privilege and an honour
Carol Layall, Director: Quality of Education
Carol was nominated for her leadership across the quality of education function, and a track record of providing exceptional support for students for more than 20 years.
She said: “It was a privilege to receive an invitation to such a special event. The garden party was amazing and it was lovely to see so many people getting recognition for their commitment to education and skills.”
Meeting other inspirational individuals
Keighley College’s Fiona Thompson BEM, with guest
Fiona is Chair of the Keighley Big Local, a National Lottery funded programme to improve the quality of life of local residents. She was recently awarded a British Empire Medal for establishing Cafe Eden, a monthly coffee morning and support group hosted at Keighley College for parents/carers of autistic children; a cause close to her heart as her son, Eden, was diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition when he was four.
Fiona was awarded the British Empire Medal in the King’s New Year’s Honours list in 2024 for services to the community of Keighley. She said: “The greatest honour for me was meeting so many inspiring individuals who dedicate themselves to supporting and transforming lives within their communities.”
‘FE through and through’
Tom Griffiths (right) with other guests
Tom has worked both in and outside the classroom to improve the life chances of vulnerable people within the community. Over the last five years he has established a partnership between Leeds City College and Harehills-based community centre CATCH, which is dedicated to improving opportunities for young people.
Tom has also been involved with the development of a study programme for FE learners with a passion for youth engagement and working within the community; and led on the setting up of an Emergency Food Support scheme for students during the cost of living crisis.
Leeds City College’s Public Service department has also worked with Leeds Learning Alliance to develop the Pathfinders Programme, aimed at developing future public service leaders.
In 2024 , Tom was shortlisted for the Association of Colleges’ Good for Me, Good for FE Award, in the Inspirational Role Model of the Year category, and has been described by colleagues as: “FE through and through…he understands its purpose and that it changes lives.”
The Labour government has made economic growth its top priority, but to drive this it will need to address skills shortages in the STEM sector which are holding us back to the tune of £1.5bn per year, writes Ann Marie Spry, our Vice Principal of Adults.
Colleges and higher education institutions like ours clearly play a vital role in addressing this problem – but not only through teaching the technical skills our learners need to succeed.
After analysing employer reports about recruitment in STEM fields a few years ago, what came over loud and clear was that while many of the students had the knowledge needed for the job, they didn’t have the necessary – and equally vital – behaviours.
So looking through a number of documents that mapped out the key characteristics that STEM employers were looking for, we whittled them down to create what we have called STEM 7. These are the attitudes and behaviours that underpin not just the science and tech industries but all kinds of jobs, from pastry chefs to fashion designers.
A skillset that transcends boundaries
STEM 7 consists of: creative thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaborative working, intellectual curiosity, flexibility and data-driven decision making. Just about all of those concepts are actually relevant regardless of the subject. Everybody these days has to use digital technology and maths in one way or another, and if you think of the design approach and problem-solving inherent to engineering, most jobs require creativity too.
Our challenge, as educators, is to ensure our curriculum provides opportunities for students to step out of their comfort zones and take on tasks in some of those STEM 7 areas they may struggle with. Engineers, for example, are known for having many important qualities – including problem-solving and, through their design approach, creativity. But they are not traditionally renowned for their collaborative approach or communication skills, both of which are invaluable in the workplace.
That’s something our approach can help students with before they join the world of work, by stretching and developing them to ensure they have some of those transferable skills that businesses of all types really value.
And we know it’s working. We included some of our partner employers, like tech consultancy BJSS, in the first discussions about our STEM 7 strategy to make sure they were on board, and they’ve been nothing but supportive.
Opening minds
Introducing this concept has meant challenging both ourselves and our students to broaden how we think about STEM. As someone with a science background I feel strongly that many people tend to have a fear of ‘science’ and the STEM subjects, but that’s something we can and will change because it’s all around us in everything we do daily.
One key way of doing so is through revising how we teach and moving away from the thoroughly unhelpful old perspective that saw technical and artistic courses as being entirely separate. Thankfully, there is an increasing awareness that both disciplines depend on each other and share many underlying principles, not least when it comes to creativity and intellectual curiosity.
The shorthand for this new perspective is STEAM (essentially, STEM plus the Arts) and Computer Game Design and Development is a classic example of STEAM in action. We teach the subject at Leeds City College as part of our very broad offering from the School of Creative Arts, at Quarry Hill campus – and it is the epitome of a field where technical know-how and creativity are equally important.
An immersive approach
Combined with this more open-minded perspective on what actually constitutes a STEM topic is the need to exploit emerging immersive technologies like AI and VR.
Such tools can offer great benefits to our students and the industries they want to enter. If you are studying healthcare, for example, you really want to learn on a hospital ward and we can offer that; indeed it will be one of the many new facilities that Harrogate College will provide following its £22m rebuild.
What VR does though, is give you so many additional options – in this case it allows you to change ward layouts, for example, and patient scenarios so that students are exposed to a wider set of challenges and leave college with a deeper understanding of what their jobs will entail.
We are already successfully using VR in welding at Keighley College, while across our group emerging technologies are helping us enhance the teaching of everything from science to electric vehicle infrastructure.
By combining these high-tech teaching aids with a STEM 7 approach, which also delivers those in-demand ‘softer skills’, we will start to plug those STEM-shaped holes in the country’s economy.
This thought leadership piece was recently published in FE Week.
