Festival of Work returns to Lakes College to showcase career opportunities in Cumbria

A HUGE showcase of career opportunities in Cumbria will bring major employers and interactive workshops to a college campus – with more than 1,000 schoolchildren set to attend.

The Festival of Work, hosted by All Together Cumbria at Lakes College in partnership with CITB, will take place for the second year on Thursday, July 13.

Building on the remarkable success of last year, this year’s festival will feature 60 employers, nearly 30 interactive workshops, captivating presentations and insightful demonstrations where attendees will be inspired to envision a future filled with potential.

The Festival of Work has the backing of major employers from across the county as sponsors, including Morgan Sindall Construction, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Shearwater, CITB, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, Lakes College, Sellafield Ltd, AE Yates and Jacobs.

All Together Cumbria is a prominent social enterprise and recruitment desk dedicated to connecting businesses in Cumbria with skilled local talent.

Nicola Gorrill, social impact manager for All Together Cumbria, said: “We are so excited that we get to bring Festival of Work back for 2023.

“We’ve extended the event to include more employers, building on the success of our 2022 event, and have so many more students attending.

“I would encourage anyone to attend our open session from 2.30pm to see the vast number of opportunities for themselves.

“There are more than 500 vacancies available across all the organisations present, and information on all the support out there for those seeking opportunities.”

Following a similar format to the inaugural event in 2022, the festival will be divided into two sessions.

The morning session will be exclusively dedicated to more than 1,000 secondary school pupils, igniting their curiosity and encouraging exploration of the vast career opportunities available in the construction, engineering, nuclear, armed forces and utilities sectors.

From 2.30pm the festival will open to individuals from all walks of life, irrespective of age or experience. This session will provide invaluable guidance and expert advice to those eager to take the next steps in their careers within these key sectors. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to connect with industry professionals, gain insights into various career pathways, and acquire valuable knowledge about the skills and qualifications required for success.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) operates in England, Scotland and Wales and will be exhibiting at the event.

Monica Costelloe, CITB customer engagement advisor for Cumbria, said: “It’s our job to help the construction industry attract talent and to support skills development.

“With careers being one of our main priorities, the Festival of Work is a fantastic opportunity for young people to see the range of jobs within the construction industry and to experience it hands-on.

“In Cumbria, there are immense opportunities within construction in the coming years and that is why we are happy to support this amazing event”.

A E Yates will also be exhibiting and Mark Lesley, performance and compliance manager, said: “When we heard about the Festival of Work, we knew we had to be involved.

“Engagement of school leavers and job seekers is key to attracting new people to the industry and increasing the diversity of those in construction.

“It is opportunities like this that will help bridge recruitment gaps and retain the skills and knowledge for the industry to deliver infrastructure projects for future generations.”

A new addition to the event that all attendees can experience, is the introduction of a green plant zone where cutting-edge environmentally-friendly plant equipment will be demonstrated.

Additionally, Flannery will kindly be providing a plant simulator for attendees to experience the thrill of operating specialised machinery.