Call for more businesses to join Lancashire Skills Pledge

The employers were recognised at the event for officially signing up to the Lancashire Skills Pledge, an initiative run by Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s Skills and Employment Hub that offers seven skills and training initiatives to local organisations.

Some of the pledges include volunteering for an hour in local schools, becoming an apprenticeship ambassador, and funding bespoke training for staff.

The Wellbeing Farm, Balfour Beatty, Velocity Composites, Conlon Construction and West Lancashire Borough Council were among organisations present at the event as Skill Pledge Members.

The partnerships formed when businesses sign up to the Skills Pledge initiative are designed to upskill and inspire both current and future generations of the county’s workforce.

Gabriela Hammond, Head of HR at VEKA explained why they signed up. She said: “We got involved in the Lancashire Skills Pledge because we already worked on many of the activities it runs and it really helps give a tangible focus and value to the work we are doing.”

“It’s all about skills, really investing in what we are now, what we want to be in the future and giving skills to people in the community.”

Chairman of Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, Debbie Francis said: “It is vital now more than ever that we focus on equipping our current and future workforces with the skills they need to succeed and help transform the county’s economy.

"I want to celebrate and thank all of the Skills Pledge members for the important work they are doing to support the county’s workforce. The Skills Pledge has great potential to promote economic growth and job creation, and it is fantastic to see how much it has grown.”