The Humber has an extraordinary opportunity ahead of it.
We are home to the UK’s largest carbon-emitting industrial cluster. That presents an obvious challenge, but it also means nowhere has a greater opportunity to make a difference to the country’s net zero ambitions.
We have some incredible industries on both banks of the Humber, bringing prosperity to the region and championing the new technologies that will shape our future.
I don’t want those companies to have to bring people in from elsewhere. I want our students – young people and adults who live in this area – to have those jobs.
That is where we have a huge role to play.
Hull College is an anchor institution for our city and region. That brings with it a responsibility to understand where our economy is going and make sure our curriculum, facilities and partnerships are moving with it.
Our ambition is to become a world-class provider of technical education and green skills. For me, being world-class isn’t about a badge or a league table. It is about delivering the workforce our region needs and giving local people access to careers which can change their lives.
Green technology also doesn’t stand still.
Today we are talking about offshore wind, heat pumps, retrofit and electric vehicles. Hydrogen and carbon capture are developing rapidly. Other technologies will follow.
Our job is to keep pace and provide the skills pipeline that makes those ambitions possible.
That is why we have invested in Greenwave, our new £5 million green energy training centre. It will give learners access to industry-standard facilities and equipment across renewable energy, hydrogen technologies, sustainable construction, advanced engineering and other areas of the low-carbon economy.
But Greenwave is about much more than a building.
It is part of a bigger commitment to ensure Hull College is closely aligned to the economic future of the Humber. Our successful funding bid was supported by 29 industry partners because employers understand that skills and investment have to go hand in hand.
There is also an important inward investment argument here.
When a company is considering investing in the Humber, one of the questions it will ask is – can we get the right people locally?
I want the answer to be yes.
A skilled local workforce gives existing businesses the confidence to grow and new investors another compelling reason to choose this region. At the same time, it ensures the economic benefits of decarbonisation are felt in our communities.
I firmly believe there is nowhere in the country with more talent than Hull – young people with drive, passion and commitment.
It is our job to help them harness that potential and develop the skills and knowledge to succeed. That is what being an anchor institution means to me.
Hull College cannot achieve the Humber’s net zero ambitions on its own. But we can make an important contribution by working with employers, responding quickly as technologies change and creating clear routes into the jobs that follow.
The Humber has the industry, ambition and opportunity. Now we must make sure it has the people and skills to power tomorrow.
By Debra Gray CBE, Principal and CEO of Hull College