Leeds College of Building CEO Leads Skills Summit Panel

Local leaders discuss apprenticeships and vocational education

Nikki Davis, Chief Executive Officer and Principal of Leeds College of Building (LCB), chaired a panel discussion at the inaugural Trade Jumpstart Skills Summit held at AMT Headingley Stadium. The event brought together education leaders, industry experts, and policymakers to address the issue of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in Leeds.

Event overview

The summit was hosted by Leeds Rhinos and Checkatrade and coincided with Youth Employment Week. Jamie Jones-Buchanan, MBE, Chief Executive of Leeds Rhinos and former player and manager, opened the event with introductory remarks reflecting on his experiences in sport and leadership.

The summit featured three panel discussions focusing on:

• A local perspective on the NEET crisis
• Potential responses from devolved regional government
• Promoting vocational routes into industry

Nikki Davis chaired the third panel, which centred on vocational education and apprenticeships.

Key participants and contributions

Panel members included Alex Sobel, Member of Parliament for Leeds Central and Headingley; Colin Buckle, Associate Technical Director at Arcadis; and Jamie Jones-Buchanan, MBE. Jones-Buchanan emphasised the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing among all stakeholders involved in tackling youth unemployment.

Other notable attendees throughout the day were:

• Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
• Jambu Palaniappan, CEO of Checkatrade
• Katie White, OBE, MP for Leeds North
• Simon Flowers, OBE, CEO of Leeds Learning Alliance
• Bob Bowman, QPM, CEO of Leeds Rhinos Foundation

Trade Jumpstart initiative

The summit also marked the launch of Checkatrade’s Trade Jumpstart package, designed to support young people entering the trades in line with the Government’s Youth Guarantee.

Rob Holmes, Vice Principal at Leeds College of Building, commented on the partnership with Checkatrade, highlighting the challenges faced by new tradespeople starting their own businesses. He noted that Trade Jumpstart provides graduates with essential tools, credibility, and a support network to help establish their careers.

As a member of the Construction Training Excellence Consortium (CTEC) representing Yorkshire and the Humber, Leeds College of Building is the first college to partner with Checkatrade on this initiative, aiming to extend its benefits to learners across the country.

For further information about Checkatrade’s Trade Jumpstart package, visit Checkatrade’s website.