Closing the gap: Employment for all

Explore employer support in Cumbria to widen access to jobs and help unemployed and economically inactive people into work.
About this Event

There is a new scheme called “connect to work” which is being delivered in partnership with DWP and Inspira aimed at bridging the employment gap for people with long term unemployment. The event will also showcase other employability schemes such as work experience tackling youth unemployment and NEETs, supported internships, and supporting care experienced applicants.

Table 1

Our Brighter Futures

Find out more about how your organisation can support care experienced young people into employment. Hear one person and employers experience.

Table 2

Connect to Work.

This programme is designed to support disabled people into employment. Hear about how being a disability confident employer can encourage more people into the journey

Table 3

Find out how your organisation and your people can benefit from upskilling to meet tomorrow’s skills demand through accessing skills training and development.

Table 4

Work Experience and the Youth Guarantee.

Work experience is a great route into employment. Hear from employers and individuals about how they have engaged in the DWP Work Experience Programme and how these have benefitted both the organisations and individuals.

Speakers bio:

Jack Bland

A Recruitment Consultant Team Leader with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), leading employer engagement and recruitment activity across Cumbria. He works closely with businesses, HR professionals, and local partners to connect employers with skilled candidates, support workforce planning, and develop effective recruitment solutions.

With a strong understanding of the local labour market and employer needs, Jack helps organisations address recruitment challenges, access diverse talent pools, and promote inclusive employment practices. He is passionate about building meaningful partnerships that support business growth while creating opportunities for people to move into sustainable employmen

Please note:

1. Reminder emails will be sent to you the day before, with a further reminder on the day of the event.
2. Photography and video production may be taking place at the event, and these images may be used in the CIPD newsletters.
3. By attending the event, you are giving your consent for your image to be used on any CIPD promotional materials.
4. As we are supplying refreshments, if you can no longer attend, please cancel your place either on Eventbrite, responding to this email.
5. This event may include an external speaker who has prepared their own presentation. Any views or opinions expressed by the speaker are their own and do not reflect those of the CIPD.
6. If you require any reasonable adjustments to enhance your experience, please get in contact with us by responding to this email and we will do our best to accommodate.

Agenda

🕑: 09:00 AM
Arrival, refreshments and networking
🕑: 09:30 AM
Welcome and overview of the sessions
🕑: 09:45 AM
Inspira Speaker
Host: Debbie Naylor

Info: Introduction to Connect to Work Programme and overview of the Inspira opportunities

🕑: 10:15 AM
Carousel table/ World cafe style discussions on the following topics
🕑: 10:55 AM
Break for refreshments and networking
🕑: 11:10 AM
Speaker DWP - The Modern Job Centre
Host: Jack Bland

Info: Everything you don’t know about Job Centre support in Cumbria, plus a bit more

🕑: 11:40 AM
World cafe – Remaining tables
🕑: 12:20 PM
Summary and close