Talent and Skills
in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria
Apprenticeship
Whether you are a large organisation or a small business, apprenticeships are a great way to invest in fresh talent, and your existing team; ensuring above all skills and experience that are right for you.
Businesses will need to cover Apprenticeship wages, but if you are a smaller employer, you would be eligible for government funding to cover between 95% and 100% of the apprentice training costs. Larger employers can use their levy to pay for apprenticeship training.
The Apprenticeship Levy is an amount paid at a rate of 0.5% of an employer’s annual pay bill. As an employer, you have to pay Apprenticeship Levy each month if you:
- have an annual pay bill of more than £3 million
- are connected to any companies or charities for Employment Allowance purposes and have a combined annual pay bill of more than £3 million
Businesses that do not pay the apprenticeship levy contribute 5% of training costs. However, businesses do not contribute to training costs (up to the funding band maximum) if they do not pay the apprenticeship levy and they:
- receive a levy transfer from another employer
- have an apprentice aged under 22 (for new apprenticeship training starts from 1 April 2024)
- have an apprentice aged between 22 and 24 with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan provided by their local authority and/or has been in care (for new apprenticeship training starts from 1 April 2024)
Additional Government support
£1,000 additional funding for businesses with apprentices aged under 19, or aged between 19 and 24 for care leavers or those with an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Training providers also get this funding
Additional grants and support for travel and accommodation available for CITB registered employers and their apprentices.
Upskilling and Exemptions
Government funding is available for upskilling if your apprentice needs to meet the minimum Level 2 requirements in English and maths.
Employers are exempt from paying National Insurance, if the apprentice:
- is under 25 years old
- is on an approved UK government apprenticeship standard or framework (these can differ depending on UK country)
- earns less than £967 a week (£50,270 a year)
More information on hiring an apprentice, including details on funding, can be found here: Hire an apprentice (apprenticeships.gov.uk)
Skills & Upskilling
Brathay Trust – Elevate
Support for young people aged 12-16 (school years 8, 9 and 10, with Year 7 students considered in the summer term) who are becoming disengaged from the community; disaffected from education; failing to attend school and at risk of – or subject to – exclusion. A referral-based programme, Elevate focuses on young people’s individual strengths to inspire participants to realise their potential, rise aspirations and promote positive engagement within the community. A 12-week early intervention programme, Elevate is a combination of 1:1 support and powerful group experience days that have been accredited by AQA Unit Awards.
This project received £77,730 from Westmorland and Furness Council and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and runs until March 2025.
Adult Learning Cumbria – Multiply
Multiply is a selection of free courses to help you improve your maths skills. It can help you in your everyday life, from managing your finances or helping your children with their homework. It can also help you get a new job or study for further qualifications.
Westmorland and Furness Council has commissioned 12 partners to deliver Multiply across Cumbria. These include further education colleges, independent training providers, charities and employability support organisations.
Adult Learning Cumbria – Employment Support for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Westmorland and Furness
A Westmorland and Furness Council project to improve community cohesion and integration of asylum seekers and refugees by providing English language skills provision to help them progress to employment/volunteering, further learning, integrate into communities, and understand cultural differences.
This project received up to £92,657 from Westmorland and Furness Council and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and runs until March 2025.
Groundwork NE & Cumbria – Green Doctor
Free and impartial, Green Doctor offers advice and support to tackle fuel poverty and the cost-of-living crisis. Trained energy advisors are available to help the most vulnerable save energy, money and maximise their incomes, and staff community energy advice events, as well as provide Money Mentor Advice. Free services offered by Green Doctor include:
- Identifying causes of heat loss in your home
- Helping identify and tackle damp or mould problems
- Offering useful tips for saving energy and water whilst ensuring your home stays safe and comfortable
- Installing small energy and water efficiency measures, such as draft excluders
- Supporting you to switch energy providers to save money
- Supporting you to access other support, such as emergency heating, government subsidies or grants, advice on energy or water debt.
This project received up to £198,107 from Westmorland and Furness Council and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and runs until March 2025.
PHX Training – Work Based Learning
PHX will support businesses of all sizes in the Westmorland and Furness area with the launch of its new work based learning courses.
The project, which has been supported by Westmorland and Furness Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, offers tailored support to help people into employment who are not supported by mainstream provisions, and will help address barriers to accessing education and training course whilst in work.
PHX’s employer engagement officers, tutors and key workers will work with employers and learners to deliver bespoke support, identifying and addressing the needs and barriers to progress within employment.
Learners can access to range of courses including mental health first aid and mental health advocacy in the workplace, Excel, Personal Licences, principles of team leading, business administration, customer service, data protection and security and more.
Completion of each course will provide learners with a Level Two qualification, the equivalent of a GCSE grade nine to four.
This project received up to £341,321 from Westmorland and Furness Council and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and runs until March 2025.
Centre for Leadership Performance – First Line Manager
The First Line Manager (FLM) programme aims to equip new managers in Westmorland and Furness with the toolkit, training and support they need to improve motivation, engagement, employee retention and productivity.
The programme includes:
- Four Half-Day Workshops: Spread over eight weeks, allowing time between workshops for participants to start applying what they’ve learned
- Coaching Sessions: Pre, mid, and post-programme coaching to support that application
- Peer Learning Opportunities: The opportunity to work and learn alongside peers from a range of people and businesses in Westmorland and Furness
- FLM Community Access: Regular access to our FLM community to explore challenges and share best practice
CforLP are offering 50 fully funded places for participants based in Westmorland and Furness between September and December 2024. Normally priced at £985.00 plus VAT, this programme is now accessible for free thanks to funding of £126,483 from Westmorland and Furness Council’s and the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Steps into Work
Inspira – The Key
An established employability programme for economically inactive adults. The Key addresses several interlinked issues affecting the local labour market and the economic prospects of residents. It includes collaboration with local employers and provides participants with practical support to boost their employability and help them move quickly into jobs.
This project received up to £615,066 from Westmorland and Furness Council and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and runs until March 2025.
Tourism
Cumbria Tourism – Welcome to Work in the Visitor Economy
Addressing labour shortages in the visitor economy by linking people looking for work with tourism businesses. Focussing on training for businesses on the Disability Confident scheme and working with partners like DWP and People First to help people with disabilities to access the labour market. Matchmaking people with vacancies through the Tourism Talent Hub, and helping those who don’t know what they want to do to access employment while they decide rather than falling out of the system.
This project received £132,701 from Westmorland and Furness Council and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and runs until March 2025.
Volunteering
Cumbria CVS – This is Us
A collaborative, cross sector project, This is Us works with organisations and individuals to improve volunteering opportunities across Westmorland and Furness. Through online and face-to-face training, workshops and networking opportunities, This is Us delivers:
- Volunteer development workshops
- Volunteer opportunity days
- Business planning and sustainability support
- Governance and trustee training
- Fundraising support and funding searches
- Sessions with organisations to develop new volunteering roles
- 1:1 sessions working on organisational needs
This project received up to £259,151 from Westmorland and Furness Council and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and runs until March 2025.
Education
The schools, colleges and universities in and around Westmorland & Furness are noted for their specialist programme and close ties with local employers. In Barrow-in-Furness both the University of Cumbria and Furness College enjoy a strong partnership with BAE Systems, whilst Kendal College is a key participant in supporting the Westmorland and Furness economy alongside other stakeholders. But don’t just take our word for it, see for yourselves and explore the opportunities available.
Furness College – Barrow-based Further Education college situated over two campuses: Channelside Campus offering vocational courses, apprenticeships, T-Levels and Higher Education courses; and the Sixth Form Campus on Rating Lane offering A-Level courses, post-19 education and adult learning.
Kendal College – Kendal-based Further Education college situated over three campuses (Milnthorpe Road Campus, Arts & Media Campus, and Westmorland Campus) offering A-levels, T-Levels, apprenticeships, adult learning, distance, learning vocational, and GCSE/Functional Skills English and maths
University of Cumbria – a multi-campus university, the University of Cumbria is home to over 14,000 students. Including Ambleside, Carlisle, Lancaster, London, and Barrow-in-Furness, the university’s historic campuses are surrounded by natural beauty, vibrant student communities and endless career opportunities. In 2024/25 the university will open the Barrow Learning Quarter adjacent to the BAE Systems Submarine Academy for Skills and Knowledge site on Barrow Island. The campus will deliver a range of degree-level programmes for learners ranging from digital and cyber security to project management and supply chain and logistics.
Lancaster University – consistently placed in the top 15 in the three major UK university league tables, Lancaster University is home to nine colleges overall, eight for undergraduate students and one for postgraduates, each providing access to wellbeing professionals, events and social activities, trips and excursions, and social spaces. The university’s main campus at Bailrigg occupies a beautiful 560-acre parkland and has the feel of a small town with banks, shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, a pre-school centre and health services.

