City Return to Work scheme launch

A new scheme which aims to help residents receiving incapacity benefit get back into work will be launched at the Carlisle Jobs Skills & Training Fair today (Friday, 15 January).

Managed by Carlisle City Council on behalf of Cumbria County Council, the employment initiative will provide tailored and personal support to residents who want to return to work but need help to upgrade their skills.

Part of an overall countywide £1.6 million Return to Work scheme, which will run between 2008 and 2010, the City Council have been chosen as the agency to deliver the Carlisle element – The Return to Work Carlisle project. Routes To Work will deliver the Allerdale & Copeland scheme, Furness Enterprise will deliver the scheme in Barrow and Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency will provide it in Eden and South Lakeland.

There are around 23,000 working age people claiming incapacity benefit in Cumbria including some 5,000 in the Carlisle area. The Return to Work Carlisle project will offer hundreds of claimants one-to-one advice and guidance and provide some vocational training.

County Cllr Tony Markley the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration says:

 "Unemployment might be low in Cumbria in general, but that masks significant pockets of worklessness, particularly amongst those people who have been on Incapacity Benefit for some time. This is a good example of public bodies co-operating for the benefit of local people.

"Cumbria County Council has put in more than £600,000 of its own money whilst the NWDA has put in almost a million pounds and the city council are delivering this scheme in Carlisle to help people find work. Together we are determined to try and help as many people as we can who are able to work to find a job and increase their standard of living."

The City Council will build on their links with local employers to help residents get back into work and aims to follow on from the success of their other Carlisle Renaissance backed employment schemes, such as the Job Brokerage and Retail Academy initiatives.

Local residents can register their interest in the Return to Work scheme on Friday (15 February) at the Jobs Fair, staged at The Sands Centre between 10am and 4pm. More than 1,000 are expected to attend the Carlisle City Council organised event.

The free event will follow on from the success of another Jobs Fair organised last September, which attracted 1,200 people, resulted in 440 people getting jobs, 2,500 application forms being submitted and 250 training courses being signed up to.

More than 60 stalls and 40 employers, representing public, retail, manufacturing, construction, technical and caring sectors, will be in attendance throughout the day. All will be actively looking at filling current vacancies.

Those looking to develop skills or change career direction, including setting up your own business, will also be catered for. Training providers and business advisors will also be attending the Fair.

There will also be a range of other organisations on hand to talk about higher education, volunteering opportunities, support available and advice services.

Cllr Marilyn Bowman, Portfolio holder for Economic Development & Enterprise said:

"The Carlisle Renaissance agenda is highlighting the wider need to diversify Carlisle’s economy. We need to assist our workforce in gaining new skills and to work with local employers to ensure that they are able to address their recruitment issues and skills gaps."

The Carlisle Jobs & Training Fair has been organised by Carlisle City Council in partnership with Carlisle Renaissance, Cumbria County Council, Job Centre Plus, Northwest Regional Development Agency, Carlisle Housing Association and the CN Group Ltd.

For more information about the event telephone Carlisle City Council on 01228 817415.