Reaching new heights at skills summit

Lancashire is no longer waiting to see what the future holds - it is building it, together.

That was the message at the Future Forward Business and Skills Summit, organised by Blackpool and The Fylde College for Business at the Lancashire Energy HQ in Blackpool.

Business leaders, educators and skills specialists packed the breakfast event to learn how to work smarter, train better and grow stronger through collaboration.

Linda Dean of Lancashire and Cumbria Institute of Technology spoke about the long-term vision behind Lancashire Energy HQ and how that ambition is now paying off.

She said: “This building was opened in 2017 and we thought could we fill it or
make a difference and impact.

“Today, we have a very full building delivering levels four, five and six in aerospace engineering, nuclear engineering and it is a huge contributor from an advanced manufacturer’s perspective, from a clean energy perspective and from a defence perspective.

“If you look at the work on engineering that Blackpool and The Fylde College has done, we’ve doubled engineering numbers over the last three years in terms of engineering apprenticeships.”

Linda added Lancashire’s recent success reflects how colleges now work directly with employers and SMEs to design solutions together rather than operating in isolation.

She said: “We see the Multiversity being a real hub for the business community in Blackpool.

“We’re seeking to understand what the business challenges are and from a skills perspective, how we can help?

“Whether it is retention, recruitment, customer service or the use of AI, is there something we can do because we’re keen to get that broader, longer partnership.”

Delegates heard from industry experts on challenges and opportunities coming in 2026 and beyond.

Steve Sorah from Blackpool based energy experts Trident delivered a clear and practical briefing on sustainability, urging businesses to act before customers or supply chains force the issue.

He said: “It’s not just about reducing energy costs, but actually using less energy, and therefore using less waste, means the cheapest kilowatt hour is the one that you never use.”

And he warned that sustainability is no longer an option in many sectors, adding: “There are businesses severely at risk if they’re not doing these things.”

A panel featuring Kamil Gradowski of Affordable Windows; Warren Langford from LAB Creative digital agency; Mark Vernon, Addison Precision; Stephen Foreman, Cogent Skills and Philip Hollis, The Platform, talked about how employers and colleges are working together to develop talent.

Kamil said: “Our whole IT department has been educated by Blackpool and The Fylde College and the software they’ve made for us has saved us hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

Mark Vernon spoke about the level of skill required to manufacture components for the aerospace and medical industries – and why apprentices are essential.

Apprenticeships now make up 18 per cent of Addison’s workforce.

Stephen Foreman explained how Cogent helps SMEs overcome the administrative burden of hiring apprentices.

He said: “Taking on an apprentice or an early career person for an industrial placement can be a lot of work.”

And Philip Hollis, challenged misconceptions about young employees.

He added: “The old school model of recruitment is broken. You need a more confident, more checked recruitment solution that doesn’t take up time.”

Warren Langford emphasised the need to adapt quickly in the digital world and the growing role of AI.

And Mark Edwards, operations director at Seriun, showed how AI can transform everyday work. He told delegates: “The prompting and questions you ask the
AI matters significantly.”

Employment law specialist Sarah Astley from AfterAthena reminded delegates about major changes to the Employment Rights Act.

And as Lancashire prepares for its next chapter with devolution and the Lancashire Combined County Authority, it was made clear to the audience that businesses, colleges and partners are already working collectively to design the workforce of the future.