Morecambe BID videos showcase employment opportunities

Morecambe's Business Improvement District has teamed up with Lancaster and Morecambe College to produce a series of videos to highlight the variety of employment opportunities available in the town.

The videos feature former BBC North West reporter Dave Guest interviewing a series of local business owners.

The first video focuses on the hospitality sector and aims to correct myths such as long hours, low pay and lack of advancement. 

The series intends to attract and keep local talent from a young age. The hospitality industry lost many staff due to Brexit and this was compounded by Covid-19 striking in 2020. But the future of the local area is bright with the announcement of successful funding, in January, by the government of Eden Project Morecambe.

This development, alone, will require at least 300 employees by the time it opens in late 2025. LMC has been working with Eden Project for the last few years to deliver the district’s green skills workforce of the future; the intention of Eden and local businesses is to source as many staff as possible locally.

Ruth Wilkinson, chair of Morecambe BID and owner of the Consult Centre in Morecambe, said: “At Morecambe BID we are committed to bringing more opportunities to our young people in the region and equally supporting our local businesses to employ local engaged people, we feel showing young people the opportunities available to them in our hospitality industry will help the whole of Morecambe to take advantage of the growth we will see over the next couple of years”

Wes Johnson, principal and chief executive of Lancaster and Morecambe College, added: “Lancaster & Morecambe College has built a strong relationship with hundreds of local businesses, supporting their current and future skills and workforce development needs. 

 “Our district is preparing for the fantastic opportunities ahead, however, we recognise that skills, or people, shortages pose a serious risk right now and for future economic growth. 

“The college and our local businesses are part of an interconnected ecosystem and only by working together can we encourage young people and adults to engage with technical education and then progress into fantastic local jobs. Our ‘Hospitality Matters’ video is the first of a series in which we hope to celebrate the benefits of living, learning and working in this fantastic part of England, raising aspiration and driving career progression, in turn supporting our local economy to grow and thrive”.

Other videos in the pipeline include Arts & Entertainment, Health and Care, Digital Skills, Retail, Construction, Transport and Professional Services. In each of these videos we will look at the particular issues facing these industries locally.