A golden age of construction in Kirklees beckons with a variety of rail and building projects worth hundreds of millions of pounds set to take off.
The boon will mean hundreds of jobs being guaranteed for as long as 15 years – an almost unheard of level of job security these days.
But regeneration chief Clr Peter McBride says despite the prosperity, business, civic and education leaders need to be ready to ensure the district takes full advantage.
West Yorkshire Transport Fund will be delivering a £750 million pound programme of investment with at least £200 million targeted towards Kirklees.
Huddersfield University's new project is a University Square - the site for the development is in the video below
In addition the Transpennine rail project will be electrified over the next seven years as well as work starting on HS2 and HS3, a transformational link between Leeds and Manchester in its later years.
And if that were not enough investment there are hopes that major regeneration around the John Smith’s Stadium will finally get underway.
In September the Examiner reported that modified plans had been submitted to Kirklees Council to amend the location of a ski slope on Kilner Bank, which forms part of the £100m HD One plans.
Clr McBride said: “We can conclude from this that there will be game changing regeneration in the West Yorkshire Region involving significant requirement for skilled labour.
“There will be demand for larger numbers of trained, construction engineers, planners, project managers, technicians as well as apprentices in the traditional craft skills: electricians, plumbers, plasterers, bricklayers, carpenters, semi-skilled construction workers and labourers.
“We can anticipate this significant additional demand in construction for a wide range of skills in a highly labour intensive industry, and that it will be steady over a period to guarantee employment.
“Thus, it is a most opportune time for young people to train for these openings and to excite them with the possibility to re-shape the whole environment in which they will work.
Take a trip down the water slide at Huddersfield Leisure Centre below
“They will be building the houses in which many will dwell, building both road and rail links that will give all a wider and easier access to both employment and services.
“There could not be a better time to develop a skills strategy. We are about to launch our Local Plan as are Leeds, Bradford and Calderdale.
“The key to our Kirklees plan is providing land for 36,000 houses. This building is proposed over the next 15 years.”
