An online event to help Cumbrian businesses address the county’s skills challenge will be held in the new year.
Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership has been working with a range of businesses and skills organisations and is inviting businesses and other interested organisations to join the event, which takes place from 2pm to 3.30pm on Monday, January 10.
Many businesses in the county are facing significant challenges in finding the people that they need for their workforce and the situation has been compounded by the impact of both the COVID-19 pandemic and EU Exit, both of which have affected the availability of the workforce.
Jo Lappin, the partnership’s chief executive, said: “Our businesses have had a challenging 2020 and 2021 and have demonstrated fabulous resilience in leading their businesses through these.
“However, as they look to move forward with the recovery of their business, their efforts are being hampered by real difficulties in finding the right people to fill the jobs that are available.
“This was an issue that we had identified before COVID-19 and EU Exit, but the impact of this has hit much harder and earlier than anticipated.
“Along with a range of partners, we’re now in the process of updating our Local Skills Report and producing a Labour Supply Action Plan in an attempt to help our businesses address these problems.
“Next month’s event will make sure that our businesses and other interested organisations have the chance to share their experiences and let us know what they think needs to be done to address this really important issue.
“There will be an opportunity to hear from a number of guest speakers during the event and we will kick start the discussion with presentations on the Local Skills
Report and the Labour Supply Action Plan. I would really encourage our businesses to come along and have their say.”
Businesses interested in attending can register using this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84169525155?pwd=RC84Slo1Vzk0RndFMUZESmQ3enB3UT0
