BUSINESS people figure prominently in the line-up of members of the new Cumbria Learning and Skills Council, which aims to sharpen the county's competitive edge

The body, which takes charge of organising and funding all post-16 education and training from April, will have 15 council members drawn from business, education, trade union and voluntary sectors.

The nine men and six women, who will take charge of future policymaking, were appointed following a wide-ranging recruitment process.

Rob Cairns, chief executive of Furness Building Society, will head the Learning and Skills Council as chairman, with Mick Farley as executive director.

Council members include Jack Stopforth, chief executive of Cumbria Inward Investment Agency; Graham Lamont, managing partner of Cumbrian chartered accountants and business consultants Lamont Pridmore; and businesswoman Patricia Calway, of Grange-over-Sands.

Other appointments include Cath Fare, of Kendal, single regeneration budget programme manager at Cumbria Tourist Board; Mike Smith, head of engineering at the Sellafield site' waste management services; Anne Diss, from near Ulverston, director of projects, Community Action Furness; and North West Development Agency board member Maggie Chadwick, of Barrow, who stepped down as Furness College principal last year.

They are joined by Christine l'Anson, of Barrow, regional manager for training provider Rathbone; health and safety consultant Peter Irving, who is also a Labour county councillor; Professor James Lusty, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Central Lancashire; Paul Hafren, principal, West Cumbria College; and Mike Thorpe, deputy regional secretary of public service union UNISON; and Cath Clarke, development manager for national charity Action for Blind People.

Mr Cairns, who is keen to foster a learning culture in Cumbria, praised the calibre of the council's members, saying: "The breadth and depth of knowledge represented by them will enable the council to make a major contribution to the pressing need to improve Cumbria's levels of learning.

"We are significantly behind other parts of the country in educational and learning attainment, and Britain is itself behind our main international competitors in this respect.

"Yet skills and learning are the key to Cumbria's future prosperity.

The new arrangements put in place by the council give us the opportunity to co-ordinate all post-16 learning in Cumbria to best effect and I am determined not to let this opportunity slip by."

Mr Cairns said Cumbria had assembled a "first class" council possessing wide-ranging talent and experience, and representing many key stakeholders across the community.

He added: "I am certain that we can be a powerful voice in promoting training and education to all our potential customers, whether they be businesses or individuals.

We hope to combine locals knowledge and partnerships with the strategic clout of a national organisation to make Cumbria a 'Learning County'."

Caption: New line-up: Cumbria Learning and Skills Council members, standing from left, Mike Smith, Cath Fare, Peter Irving, James Lusty, Catherine Clark, Paul Hafren, Mike Thorpe, Graham Lamont, Jack Stopforth and Maggie Chadwick.

Seated from left are Anne Diss, Mick Farley, Rob Cairns, Chris I'Anson and Tricia Calway.

(Contributed photo)