Wakefield Futures Commission sets out bold vision for better skills and jobs
Thursday, September 11, 2025
A radical new approach to training and education for the high-skilled, well-paid jobs of the future is starting to take shape with the publication of the Wakefield Futures Report.
On 10 September the Wakefield Futures Commission launched the milestone report at Wakefield Exchange. Led by leading academic Professor Sir Chris Husbands, Chair of the Commission, it sets out a blueprint to attract more great, high-skilled jobs and people to the district, creating greater prosperity for local communities.
“Wakefield is a place full of pride, creativity, and ambition. From Production Park staging some of the world’s biggest shows, our inspiring cultural offer, our emerging strength in the service sector, and the cutting-edge work of our manufacturing firms. Our district has so much to celebrate.
“But we know there’s more we can do to grow our skills base to help local people thrive in the economy of the future.
“That’s why we welcome the findings of the Commission, and we’ll be looking closely at creating a long-term plan of how we can take them forward.
“There are no quick fixes, but we want every resident to have access to the skills and qualifications they need to secure high-quality, well-paid jobs. By widening access to higher-level skill provision, we will unlock more of our district’s potential.”
Cllr Jack Hemingway
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Growth
Central to the Commission’s recommendations is the creation of an employer-led civic hub named the ‘Wakefield Futures Centre’, a collaboration between providers and employers. It would see higher-level skills training co-designed with employers. And help lead to real, well-paying jobs in the local labour market. Helping businesses to grow and succeed while putting more money in residents’ pockets.
The report supports Wakefield Council’s skills mission: 80,000 more annual completions of high-quality training in the sectors where there is most demand. It focuses on training that is short, affordable and flexible to accommodate the existing responsibilities of learners. Making it easier for people to improve their lives through new training and better-paid work.
The work of the Commission is particularly important to Wakefield, as the district faces significant challenges in developing and retaining higher-level skills among residents.
As a UNESCO Learning City, Wakefield is already part of a global network committed to lifelong learning. But more can be done. Improving employment and skills across the district is about building stronger communities, fostering resilience, and creating a brighter future for everyone who calls Wakefield home.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, added: “West Yorkshire is a region of grafters – our greatest currency is our people, and our greatest strength is our diversity.
“Yet for too long, residents of all ages and backgrounds have been locked out of the higher skilled jobs they need to thrive.
“This groundbreaking report shows how Wakefield could provide the blueprint for skills-led growth across the UK, by embracing the hands-on, employer-led training that many people need to be able to seize the good jobs of the future.
“We welcome the commission’s recommendations and will now consider how best to take them forward, to deliver our mission of putting more money in people’s pockets and building a brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.”
Professor Sir Chris Husbands, Chair of the Wakefield Futures Commission, said: “There are no simple solutions to complex problems, and places need joined-up action that grows the demand for higher-skilled jobs at the same time as growing the supply of higher-skill people.
“This is what the Wakefield Futures Centre could deliver – the civic backbone that connects our complicated skills system together, points it unapologetically toward the higher-skilled jobs of the future, and creates better opportunities for residents to access training on their terms, boosting productivity and growth.
“I would like to thank our commissioners and the political leadership of West Yorkshire for their ambition to transform Wakefield into a high-skilled district, and – in the process – provide a blueprint for other areas and the UK government to adopt.”
The Commission is committed to working with Wakefield’s existing providers, employers, and key partners to create a thriving skills ecosystem, one that makes the district a place where people want to live, work, and visit.
By widening access to higher-level skill provision, Wakefield can unlock more of its potential.
The full Wakefield Futures Commission Report can be read at https://go.wakefield.gov.uk/WakefieldFuturesCommissionReport