Time to tackle skills shortage...

BUSINESSES are being urged to join forces with the Learning and Skills Council in Cumbria to tackle the skills needs of the county's workforce.

LSC Cumbria executive director Mick Farley issued the rallying call at an event for employers held in Penrith.

He said 80,000 adults, a quarter of all those of working age, in Cumbria did not have a level 2 qualification the equivalent of five A-C grades at GCSE level, according to the recently published national employers skills survey.

Employers felt the skills of 20,000 of those workers were not up to scratch, particularly communication, customer handling and team working skills.

One in every ten Cumbrian businesses said skill shortages made it hard to fill job vacancies, the study revealed.

Some 40 per cent of businesses in the county 6,400 firms have a training plan and Mr Farley urged others to follow suit.

He said the survey findings, together with figures published by the Office for National Statistics late last year showing Cumbria had the lowest economic performance of all sub-regions in England, underlined the "desperate urgent need" for more employers to better train their workforce.

Jungle talk...

BUSINESS people are being offered the chance to rumble in the jungle' at an annual inter-professional ball later this month. Rheged Discovery Centre at Penrith is being transformed into a virtual jungle' on February 27 for the themed event which is being billed as Cumbria's most prestigious business function. First held four years ago, the dinner dance is hosted by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and sponsored by Capita and will raise funds for the Riding for the Disabled charity. RICS Cumbria chairman Tim Ellams said: "We felt there was a need in Cumbria for a function which would allow professionals and leaders of the business community to meet, network and provide superior corporate hospitality for their clients." For more details, ring RICS Cumbria administrator Fiona Hughes on 01228-537399.