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To get an overview of education and skills in Peterborough, we popped along for a chat with the new Leader of Peterborough City Council, John Holdich, who holds responsibility for education, schools, skills and the university.

‘Over the past five years, the City Council has spent over £200m modernizing all its secondary schools and academies, and lifting the educational attainment in the city. We have the biggest incoming of students during the year of anywhere outside London – this means we’re having to look for about 160 new teachers a year. It presents huge employment opportunities: if you come to Peterborough as a young teacher there is nothing to stop you progressing very quickly, as we are opening new schools. We’ve also set up our own teaching college, called Teach East, to attract and train young teachers.’

So, Peterborough – described by The Work Foundation as ‘an economic powerhouse’ – is on track to become ‘an educational powerhouse’…?
‘Yes. Our skills service, Opportunity Peterborough, offers support for the north of the county: Rutland, Kings Lynn, Wisbech, that kind of area, to encourage skills and learning. There are many highly qualified people in the city, but obviously we are always looking to improve our offer when it comes to training opportunities, not only for young people, but across the board so everyone has the chance to up-skill, including people already in work. We need a good, skilled workforce and we’re winning on that: For example, our youth unemployment figures have gone down from 14% several years ago to 4% this year.’

How do you keep local businesses up-to-date with skills and training news?
‘Opportunity Peterborough hold regular meetings with businesses to keep them informed about what’s going on across the city. If you come to Peterborough looking to relocate or set up a business, they are the ones who will take you through everything.’

Peterborough is certainly on the march forward, it’s open for business – and learning, too
‘Indeed! There are some people who have complained that we spent too much money on upgrading the city centre, but if you don’t, your city will die. And look at all the businesses we’ve attracted to the city centre because of it! In fact, it’s not all about the City Council’s money: Waitrose have contributed, as have the government. The investment brings further opportunities: construction at Queensgate, for example, as we’ll be putting in an application to extend Queensgate in the next three months; and last year we built a record number of houses – that’s a trend we want to continue, to house our kids and grandkids.’

And a university for Peterborough?
‘As far as a university is concerned, we are working with Peterborough Regional College (PRC) as well as Anglia Ruskin University, bringing a university to Peterborough. That will take about two years and cost about £250k to take the case to the Privy Council. Then there will be another year before we can give our award. If you exclude the open learning, there are 1,549 students studying for higher level degrees in the city, either at Guild House or University Centre Peterborough – in three years’ time we aim to create a new campus away from the PRC site.’

No-one knows the employment landscape in Peterborough or Huntingdon better than Recruit Mint. Whether you’re looking to employ or be employed, give us a call any time, and we’ll put together a plan that suits you.

Find out more for learners: www.theskillsservice.co.uk