A brand-new Business and Skills Community Hub has opened in Castleford, offering free business support to the community.
The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, which includes Castleford College, Wakefield College and Selby College, held a grand opening ceremony in partnership with Wakefield First on Friday 27th of February, for the brand-new Business and Skills Community Hub, situated in Castleford Market.
Representatives from the Group were joined by Foreign Secretary and Labour MP for Pontefract, Castleford & Knottingley, Yvette Cooper, Wakefield First, Wakefield Council and local employers to officially open the new Business and Skills Community Hub in Castleford’s town centre.
The Hub, based in Unit 71 of Castleford Market on the main high street, is a one stop drop-in centre for free business and skills support. Open 9:00am-4:30pm, Monday to Friday (closed Wednesday afternoons), it aims to support those seeking business advice around start-ups, branding and marketing, strategy and funding or those considering pathways to upskill.
Staff from the Group, Wakefield First and Step-Up will be available in the Hub to provide free expert advice to help individuals and businesses navigate their careers and skills needs. The Hub will begin with a six-month pilot but hopes to grow into a long-term project to support the local economy in the Wakefield district.
Yvette Cooper MP speaking at the official launch of the Business and Skills Community Hub, Castleford Market.
Steve Harrison, Local College Director of Castleford College, spoke at the launch event, stating: “The opening of the Business and Skills Community Hub in Castleford represents opportunity, partnership and a shared commitment to helping local people and business upskill. The Hub has been designed as a place where everyone can be supported. Whether you're a student exploring career pathways, an employer looking to develop your future workforce, someone seeking new skills or employment or a member of the community wanting to connect with local opportunities – this is your space. Our vision is simple: to remove barriers, bring people together and to make access to skills, training, jobs, apprenticeships and business engagement easier than ever before.”
Yvette Cooper, MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley, also spoke at the launch event, she said: "This new Business and Skills Community Hub in the heart of Castleford Market is part of the important new support for our town centre. Thank you to Castleford College and Wakefield Council for all the work to set it up for the next few months. It is a great opportunity for people to find out about all the new apprenticeships, training courses and adult learning being run by the College, as well as for local small businesses to get advice and support. Putting it in the heart of town is also a good way to support our local town centre businesses and traders, who are so important for Castleford, so it was great to be at the opening and to see all the plans they have in place".
Representing Wakefield Council, Jamie Appleton, Service Manager for the Economic Development Team, thanked those in attendance who had been instrumental in launching the Hub and called on the local community to engage with its various services and opportunities.
The Business and Skills Community Hub based in Unit 71 of Castleford Market.
The unit space was generously furnished by local company, Workspace Furniture UK, who supplied the desks and chairs which will be used for consultations.