LANCASHIRE BUSINESSES CELEBRATE THE ONGOING SUCCESS OF THE LANCASHIRE SKILLS PLEDGE

Over 80 employers attended the 2022 Lancashire Skills Pledge celebration event on Monday 12 December which recognised the contribution Lancashire businesses make in investing in the skills of people living and working in the county.

The businesses were thanked by Councillor Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Borough Council for officially signing up to the Lancashire Skills Pledge, an initiative run by Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub.

Debbie Francis, Chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership also spoke at the event and awarded those present with their Lancashire Skills Pledge certificates.

The Lancashire Skills Pledge recognises employers who are committed to inspiring, recruiting and upskilling Lancashire’s people. It is a simple front door for businesses to access support to navigate skills and employment programmes across Lancashire – helping employers to build their future workforce, recruit locally and to reskill and upskill their employees.

The eight pledges include volunteering for an hour in local schools, becoming an apprenticeship ambassador, and funded bespoke training for existing staff. A new pledge which gives business’s access to placements and internships for university students was launched at the event by the three universities based in Lancashire.

To date 192 businesses are Skills Pledge members and are actively supporting 399 pledges. A further 76 have registered and are working towards implementing their pledges. The businesses represent a wide range of sectors and are from every corner of Lancashire.

Amy Halstead from Multipave was among some of the many local organisations present at the event as Skill Pledge Member said:

“The Skills Pledge has opened up so many doors for Multipave (a Lancashire based Road Surfacing contractor). As an SME, currently experiencing a skills gap in our industry, we understand how important it is to upskill our people, inspire the next generation and provide opportunities to individuals in our community. The Skills Hub has the expertise to help make this possible, they will support and guide you along the way. I no longer have to search the internet, or spend hours scratching my head, help is at my fingertips! Attending the Lancashire Skills Pledge Celebration this week, highlighted what fantastic opportunities other Lancashire organisations are giving and it was a pleasure for us to receive a certificate alongside them’’

Councillor Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Borough Council said:

“Skills for recovery and growth has never been so important. Lancashire 2050 which was officially launched at the Houses of Commons as part of the Lancashire Day celebrations is our vision for 2050 and aims to ensure that Lancashire is a place where every single person can live their best life.

Employment and Skills is one of the eight priorities within Lancashire 2050 with the aim to ensure that Lancashire’s people have the opportunity to access good jobs, progress in their chosen careers, and to ensure that people are not held back due to their skills or background. We want to build a

highly skilled workforce which enables our economy to grow to the benefit of people living and working in Lancashire. The Lancashire Skills Pledge complements this aim, and we hope that many more businesses will sign up and promote the Pledge to their supply chains”

Chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, Debbie Francis OBE said:

“As the organisation that acts as a voice for Lancashire’s businesses, the LEP understands that a skilled and productive workforce is key for economic growth. As our recently launched Lancashire Digital Strategy made clear, Lancashire needs more people with advanced digital skills to take up the high-value jobs and capitalise on the wider opportunities on offer from recent investments into the region, including the announcement that the National Cyber Force will be based here.

“It was great to attend the Skills Pledge celebration to celebrate and thank all the Skills Pledge members on behalf of the LEP for the important work they do in supporting Lancashire’s workforce and for their contribution to upskilling and inspiring local people”.

Employers can learn more about the Lancashire Skills Pledge and sign up at

www.lancashireskillspledge.co.uk