Cumbria’s biggest showcase of careers in the construction, engineering and nuclear sectors will take place on Thursday, July 11.
The Festival of Work 2024 has been organised by All Together Cumbria to provide a direct link between people looking to start, change or progress their career with around 50 businesses offering live job opportunities and long-term careers.
Several organisations will also be on hand to offer career advice and support. The free festival runs from 2.30pm to 5.30pm at Lakes College, Lillyhall, near Workington.
Andy Dodds, social enterprise manager at All Together Cumbria, said: “The construction, engineering and nuclear sectors in Cumbria have a high level of unfilled vacancies and a long running skills shortage in key professions.
“The Festival of Work provides a fantastic way for people to engage with businesses looking to recruit live vacancies, many of which hold the tantalising prospect of long term professional and personal development.
“All people need to do is bring a copy of their latest CV and bags of enthusiasm. Attending the festival may just turn out to be the best thing you ever do for your career.”
Now in its third year, the Festival of Work is a direct response to tackling the region’s long-running shortage of unskilled and skilled workers set against the backdrop of a declining working age population.
The event is sponsored by Morgan Sindall Infrastructure – the parent body of All Together Cumbria – Morgan Sindall Construction, Sellafield Ltd, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, Cavendish Nuclear and the Construction Industry Training Board.
Monica Costelloe, the CITB’s customer engagement advisor for Cumbria, added: “The Festival of Work is a fantastic event that showcases how wonderful the world of construction is to work in.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for people to see how they can build a successful career – from apprentice to degree level – and learn more about the diverse range of careers on offer in the industry.”
The 2023 Festival of Work attracted more than 100 adults, of which almost half were unemployed.
A further 1,000 secondary school students from nine local schools also attended a special session including interactive workshops to inspire them to consider careers in construction, engineering and nuclear.
All Together Cumbria is a social enterprise created by Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, based at Westlakes Science Park, near Whitehaven, to work collaboratively with local industry and community organisations to develop and deliver programmes that tackle current skills and employability challenges in the county and meet workforce demands.
