Bradford District has a thriving digital sector with an estimated 700 businesses employing 4,500 people.

By Damian Holmes

Digitalisation is on an upwards trajectory in Bradford with more and more businesses realising the benefits of tech in their sector. Digital technologies are being widely adopted by those in manufacturing, healthcare and education and with this rapid increase so is there an increase in demand for expertise in the workforce.

Bradford Council is playing a major role in creating pathways into the technology sector and helping facilitate its growth. Bradford Council is the lead member of the Careers and Technical Education Partnership, which offers industry-led expertise to schools across the District.The partnership is a collaboration between employers and educational partners providing young people with opportunities. It supports educators with the industry knowledge and skills that employers want to see in their future workforce.

The Council’s ‘Computing, Science and Environmental Technologies, Industrial Centre of Excellence’ (ICE) Board, works closely with tech-based businesses to deliver a long-term approach that can be embedded, meaning our schools curriculum can be taught responding to the latest business developments.

Essential work skills are blended into formal and informal learning contexts, and young people develop skills that are fit for purpose and allow young people to have an advantage as they step into the world of work.This also provides opportunities to seek out jobs within each sector at reputable businesses on their doorstep – in turn allowing local businesses to attract and invest in local talent.

The University of Bradford, in collaboration with Create Education of Lancashire and the CTE (Careers Technical Education) Partnership, are planning a 3D printing hub to provide students across Bradford District with the relevant digital / engineering skills to meet present-day and future demands.

It is believed that more than 60,000 jobs will be created in the UK between now and 2025 in the field of additive engineering, and 3D printing skills will be seen as vital within this industry.

The Bradford CTE Partnership approach has noted success through schools that have embraced and embedded the approach. More than 3,000 students across the district have been supported through a sector pathway, and 15,000 through our partnerships.

This year the council has;

• Supported recruitment of students into tech opportunities such as Morrison’s/Google Scholarship.
• Supported women in engineering roles through Hitachi and Northern Rail.
• Supported the #GirlsIntoTech initiative with 120 Bradford Girls’ Grammar students and TransUnion in which pupils are taught about digital tech and some undertake work placements at the company.

CTE Partnership staff are in touch with local employers to see how they can educate students on tech by talking to companies including Bradford-based 3-D printer company Filamentive, Bradford-based fibre companyTexfelt and town centre-based Impact Gamers CIC.

In Bradford, careers and pathways into tech start in the primary years.

A primary careers STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) networking event held at the National Science and Media Museum in November showcased tech employers including Produmax, which manufactures precision parts for the aerospace, Pudsey Computers, which has Nao, a humanoid robot to engage primary students in coding.

Bradford Council’s Curriculum Innovation Centre in Little Germany, led by Paul Scott, engages with school children in tech via coding and digital making.  The Curriculum Innovation Centre also supports up-skilling schoolteachers in digital tech.

At a regional level, the Chief Executive of Bradford Council, Kersten England, chairs Leeds City Region Digital Board with business representation including local business leaders Mark Cowgill from EXA Networks and Mike Hodge from CIM logic. 

Bradford Council part funds and will run Northern MAX 3 the third digital tech accelerator programme in as many years – an intensive business support programme for tech start-ups in the city region, based in Bradford.  The aim is to increase the competitiveness of innovative tech businesses in Bradford District and Leeds City Region by providing support with access to innovation, investment, technical and business expertise to grow and scale businesses:

With regards to training in the technology sector, Bradford Council will be consulting with a number of employers across the district to ensure that its Skills for Work accredited learning and apprenticeship provision meets the skills needs of our employers and residents.

The Council also works in partnership with organisations in the district such as the university in research and innovation in data, AI, digital and immersive technologies. 

Councillor Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for education, employment and skills, said: “With the tech sector flourishing in the Bradford District and set to continue to do so, the council is working hard to ensure that we have a workforce with the appropriate skills to be the talent pipeline for those businesses.

 “Our recently-launched Workforce Development Plan – People, Skills, Prosperity – lays out our approach to employment and skills in Bradford. At the heart of the plan is working with partners across business and education.

Councillor Imran Khan, Bradford Council

Collaboration and partnership really is vital and progress is already being made through the focussed work of our Careers and Technical Education Partnership, including the Industrial Centres of Excellence, and other initiatives including Skills for Work and the Curriculum Innovation Centre.

 “As the youngest city in the UK, Bradford has a youthful, enterprising population and that makes the future an exciting one for the tech sector in the district.”