Organisers of the Festival of Work have been overwhelmed with the response that they have received to the event.

The event, which takes place at Lakes College on Thursday, July 14 2022 from 2pm-7pm, has been organised by community interest company All Together Cumbria, which invests in providing the people of Cumbria with opportunities and access to employment.

Over 50 employers and support organisations registered to attend, who collectively have over 700 live vacancies.

The Festival of Work will showcase the local employment opportunities available and the pathways to progressing a successful career across the construction, engineering, and nuclear sectors in response to skills shortages and growing workforce demand.

Andy Dodds, Social Enterprise Manager at All Together Cumbria said “The reaction to the Festival of Work illustrates the acute recruitment challenge faced within construction, engineering and nuclear and the importance of encouragingnew talent into these sectors.

“Employers are not looking for years of experience in a specific profession, but rather transferrable skills, which people often fail to realise that they have.”

Over 600 local secondary school pupils are set to attend the first part of the day for career inspiration, before the doors open to the public from 2pm, providing the opportunity for those attending to explore how than can start, progress or change their career.  

Eldon Garnett, Managing Director of Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, said “We are delighted to be sponsoring the Festival of Work to showcase the local employment opportunities available within construction, engineering and nuclear.

“The range of vacancies are vast and I would encourage all those looking to start their career, re-enter the employment market or change their career to go along”.

Employers will host stands and they will be joined by a range of career support organisations and training/education providers offering advice and courses to support career progression.

Meanwhile, a programme of interactive workshops will provide an insight into the wide range of careers available and assist attendees with interview techniques, CV writing, and identifying transferable skills to help secure a vacancy.

Attendees to the Festival of Work can register for free at https://bit.ly/ATCFOW