KEIGHLEY College has received top-level praise.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has paid tribute to the work that the Bradford Road campus is doing with local businesses to bridge the skills gap.

And he also highlighted the “deep-rooted industrial heritage” of Keighley that he said had under-pinned key successes in the town.

Mr Williamson was speaking during a question-and-answer session with Keighley MP Robbie Moore, centring on the recent announcement of a Skills for Jobs Government white paper.

College principal, Steve Kelly, said: “It’s fantastic to see Keighley College getting national recognition in Parliament. Not only was the town’s steeped history highlighted, but also the work we are doing to plug the skills gap in our district.

“We are committed to being at the heart of our community and working with the private, public and third sector to serve our town. To be referenced by the Education Secretary as a college that is doing all the right things when it comes to building positive relationships with businesses fills us with great pride.

“It’s an approach that is embedded in everything we do as we work closely with the communities we serve, ensuring the courses we offer are answering local demand. This national recognition further emphasises how crucial it is for the college to continue engaging constructively with the business community.”

He added that the college welcomes the Skills for Jobs white paper.

“It echoes the positive work we are already doing and this will hopefully mean other businesses will be encouraged to work collaboratively with us,” said Mr Kelly.

“We are so pleased that our approach of forming tight-knit relationships with businesses is being recognised. We strongly believe this will help us continue providing students with the right skills for now and the future.

“As we look ahead to recovering from the pandemic, it will be even more important for businesses to work with us to ensure we’re supporting their needs. The college is already becoming a central driver for economic recovery in the district as a result of partnering with support services and we want to see this continue.”

Businesses interested in partnering should email clare.fitzgerald@keighleycollege.ac.uk.