When Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Bedford to announce that Universal Destinations & Experiences will be opening a major theme park and resort in 2031 in our area, he chose The Bedford College Group to be part of this historic announcement. It was a fitting choice.
As the leading provider of post-16 education and training across the South East Midlands, we have already had extensive conversations with the local authority and senior officials from Universal Resorts and Destinations about the skills needed to deliver on this exciting and transformative project.
The new theme park is projected to create around 28,000 jobs spread across sectors including construction, hospitality and the creative industries. Nearly 20,000 jobs will be created during the construction phase, with an additional 8,000 jobs expected after it opens.
At the Bedford College Group, we are committed to ensuring that our students are ready to seize the opportunities this landmark development will bring, not just in Bedfordshire but across the region. My role is to make sure our curriculum is future-ready across all our colleges and connected with all our strategic partners: aligned with economic priorities and designed to equip students with the skills employers need both now and in the years to come.
Although the resort won’t open for another six years, we are already preparing. We are proactively designing new programmes and initiatives, across three of our colleges in Bedfordshire to meet the anticipated demand for skilled workers across multiple sectors, with a particular focus on infrastructure, tourism, and the creative industries.
Our colleges already deliver a broad and rich curriculum in civil engineering and professional construction. But as demand grows, with Universal, the expansion of Luton Airport, the new railway station planned at Wixams and increased investment in roads and other infrastructure, we must scale up and modernise our provision. This means not only increasing capacity, but also updating content, assessment, and delivery methods to meet evolving industry needs.
The ripple effects of Universal’s arrival will be felt far beyond Bedford. Towns across the region, including those in Northamptonshire where we also operate campuses, will see significant economic growth. As the largest provider of post-16 education in the South East Midlands, we’re thinking strategically about how to maximise the benefits of this investment across all our sites.
Beyond construction and engineering, we expect to see major growth in sectors such as customer service, travel and tourism, hospitality, aviation, marketing, media, digital technology, and the creative industries. Our curriculum will adapt accordingly, not just in Bedford, but across our entire group to ensure we’re developing talent that aligns with the region’s future economy. We are also placing greater emphasis on transferable skills, sustainability, and innovation, qualities that employers across all sectors are increasingly prioritising.
We’re also preparing for a likely increase in student enrolment driven by the project. To meet this demand, we’ve already committed to establishing a new hospitality school and logistics academy, strengthening our capacity to deliver high-quality, industry-relevant education in key growth areas.
The Bedford College Group is proud to be at the heart of this regional transformation. We hosted Universal’s first public consultation in Bedford and continue to facilitate important conversations between students, local leaders, including the mayor of Bedford and key project stakeholders. These discussions are laying the groundwork for collaborative, long-term partnerships that benefit everyone.
To that end, we have created a dedicated programme board, led by the principal of Bedford College, to oversee our planning and implementation in response to the Universal development. We are also working closely with local councils, employers, and community partners to ensure that our curriculum remains agile, inclusive, and responsive. Engagement with industry partners will be essential for shaping our apprenticeship and work placement opportunities, ensuring that students gain real-world experience aligned with job market needs.
The next six years promise to be a dynamic period of growth and innovation. We are ready to rise to the challenge, developing a workforce that is not only job-ready but first in line for the exciting careers that Universal and other local employers will bring to our communities.
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