A careers conference held at one of East Lancashire's football grounds has revealed how low carbon, cyber, digital and STEM jobs are set to be some of the fastest growing employment opportunities in the county.
Held at Blackburn Rovers FC, the annual conference brought together organisations working with schools and colleges across Lancashire with more than 150 delegates in attendance.
The Lancashire Careers Hub is heralded nationally as an award-winning initiative, co-funded by the Careers and Enterprise Company, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, Lancashire County Council and Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen unitary authorities.
And at the conference it was revealed that more low carbon jobs per head are set to be created in Lancashire than anywhere else in the country, as well as more cyber jobs, spurred on by the creation of the National Cyber Force, a partnership between the Ministry of Defence and GCHQ, which will have its new headquarters in Samlesbury from 2024.
The NCF is part of the creation of a ‘cyber corridor’ from Manchester to Lancaster, with Samlesbury at its centre, which will bring significant numbers of skilled cyber jobs to the area.
The NCF says its arrival will help to grow technology, digital and defence sectors, as well as encouraging partnerships between government, industry and universities in the region.
MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden, Sara Britcliffe, gave a video address in which she thanked everyone involved in the Lancashire Careers Hub for giving young people across Lancashire the skills they need to be prepared for these opportunities.
Head of Early Careers and Skills at BAE Systems and member of the Lancashire Cornerstone Employers, Peter Caney, said: “Working with Lancashire Careers Hub enables us to plug our requirements into a coordinated, organised network and ecosystem reaching all the schools and colleges in our locality so we can really make a difference to raise aspirations of young people.
“We are looking to attract inquisitive young people, creative thinkers and problem solvers who will thrive in a future digital workplace.
“There’s a real energy around the recovery from the pandemic in getting more young people into the workplace to look, see, feel those opportunities, open their minds and raise aspirations.”
Mr Caney was among a panel of business leaders at the conference, chaired by Debbie Francis OBE, chair of Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, which also included Neil Conlon (Conlon Construction), Georgia Thomas (Victrex) and Helen McVey (Pendleside Hospice).
Ms Francis said: “The work of the Lancashire Careers Hub is absolutely critical.
"There are a lot of growing businesses and opportunities here in Lancashire but it’s critical young people know what those opportunities are.”
Lancashire’s employment rate is 72.3 per cent, 2.5 per cent below the national average - it was 76.2 per cent pre the pandemic.
In total 20,000 job vacancies were advertised in Lancashire in March, and employers are having to post three times on average to fill a job with analytical skills being one of the fastest growing skills required.
Dr Michele Lawty-Jones, director of the Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub, which supports the work of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and the 15 local authorities across Lancashire, said: “The Lancashire Careers Hub is really important for our economy and social mobility of our young people.
“In terms of the economy and working with our businesses it is providing a talent pipeline to support them to grow and flourish.
“It’s also about inward investment where we are attracting businesses to Lancashire who know we have a talent pool to recruit from, so bringing those new businesses in also brings new job opportunities for Lancashire residents.
“In terms of inclusion we do have varied communities across Lancashire with pockets of disadvantage so it’s really important that we raise the aspirations and raise the ambitions of our young people.
“Exposure to employers has been proven to really boost ambition, to give young people insight into the world of work, what they could be, bringing role models in and giving them a wide insight into different sectors, and different jobs and future opportunities. We are really proud of our progress in Lancashire. We are one of the highest performing areas in the country.”
Kay Vaughan, Careers Hub Lead, for Inspira, said: “The Lancashire Careers Hub is supporting schools and colleges across Lancashire enabling more than 90,000 young people to experience encounters with employers, further and higher education and apprenticeships providers.
"It is helping them to have those lightbulb moments that inspires them and helps them to navigate what their next best step should be.”
The Careers Hub helps link businesses and organisations with schools and colleges to inspire young people about employment opportunities across the county, and is delivered by Inspira.
For more information about Lancashire Careers Hub visit www.lancashirecareershub.co.uk
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