Leeds City College has opened its new Leeds Dock campus, creating more opportunities for young people to access specialist education and training in health science and social care.

The campus will initially provide around 250 places for learners, helping to meet regional demand for skilled health and social care professionals, while increasing the availability of places on the college’s popular courses.

The first floor of the building has been repurposed to accommodate five classrooms, a dining and social area, two quiet reflection rooms and a wellbeing hub.

After welcoming its first cohort of students earlier this year, the new campus has been officially opened by Councillor Helen Hayden, Executive Member for Children and Families at Leeds City Council.

Cllr Hayden said:

“It’s fantastic to see investment into new education facilities that will help more young people access high-quality education and training here in Leeds.

“This new campus is a welcome addition, creating more opportunities for students to gain the knowledge, skills and experience they need to build rewarding careers, while helping to meet the needs of local employers.”

Leeds City College, which is part of Luminate Education Group, received an £8m Government grant to support the expansion of post-16 education provision in Leeds and help address the rising number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).

Diana Bird, Executive Principal at Leeds City College, said:

“It’s wonderful to officially open our Leeds Dock campus. Health and social care professionals play such an important role in our communities, and we’re proud to be creating more opportunities for young people to pursue a career in the sector.”

Bill Jones, CEO of Luminate Education Group, added:

“Investing in high-quality education facilities provides our young people with the best learning environment possible. 

“The opening of Leeds Dock campus reflects our commitment to expanding access to education and training, ensuring more young people have the opportunity to develop their skills and progress into employment.”

The new campus supports wider government ambitions to strengthen technical and vocational education, while aligning with the West Yorkshire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), which identifies health and social care as a key priority to address regional skills shortages and support economic growth.