LEP launches website to boost county's skills

A new website has been launched by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership's Skills and Employment Hub which will help individuals in the county attain the skills required in the post-coronavirus world of work.

The programme is backed by more than 50 organisations, including local councils and universities as well as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), National Careers Service and Boost.

As of 31 May 2020, there are just over 170,000 private sector workers in Lancashire who have been furloughed and they could access free training. Training while furloughed could help you to prepare to re-enter the workplace which may function very differently.

The website, www.skillsforwork.info, provides Lancashire residents with one place to get information about skills and employment support, with coaching and wellbeing support throughout. It has more than 100 different offers of fully funded and free support for people in the county.

Steve Fogg, chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, said: "Unfortunately the number of people who are unemployed has risen significantly, as have the number of people who are at risk of redundancy. There is support in Lancashire to help you if you are in this situation, to find another job or start your own business.

''For those people who are working, it is highly likely that the way they work has changed. Remote working has led to a leap in everyone needing digital skills, from communicating with each other and managing teams remotely, to digital marketing and innovating to find new customers. There is a range of support available to learn new skills or improve on the skills you have while you are in work.''

Amanda Melton, chair of the Lancashire Skills and Employment Panel and LEP board member, added: ''The Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub, working with dozens of partners, has listened to the skills needs of people in Lancashire, developing a single source of information to boost skills and employability.

"These are free to those wanting to improve their skills whether unemployed, facing redundancy, in work, or currently furloughed. This great resource at can help us all progress positively from the exceptionally difficult circumstances of recent months."

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