Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce Conference Brings Together 160+ Delegates to Inspire the Future of Cumbria’s Young People
More than 160 employers, educators and partners from across Cumbria came together on 14th October for the Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce Conference, united by a shared ambition: helping young people develop the skills, confidence and experiences they need to thrive in their future careers.
The conference provided an opportunity to share ideas, challenge thinking and explore how education and industry can work together to create stronger pathways for young people across the county.
A huge thank you goes to our speakers, workshop facilitators and delegates whose expertise, enthusiasm and willingness to collaborate helped make the day such a success. The energy in the room demonstrated a genuine commitment to ensuring that every young person in Cumbria can discover what’s possible and take their best next step.
One of the highlights of the day was the launch of the Modern Work Experience in Cumbria Case Studies Booklet, showcasing inspiring examples of employers and education providers working together to reimagine work experience and create meaningful opportunities for young people.
The feedback from delegates was overwhelmingly positive:
✅ 95% said the conference met or exceeded their expectations
✅ 86% said they would make attending next year’s conference a high priority
These results reflect the value of bringing together employers, education and wider partners to focus on the future workforce needs of Cumbria.
As the conference drew to a close, delegates were asked a simple but powerful question:
“In one word, how do you want young people to feel about their future in Cumbria?”
The responses created a powerful word cloud filled with words such as confident, inspired, valued, optimistic, ambitious and empowered, exactly the feelings we hope every young person experiences as they consider their future.
Thank you to everyone who played a part in making the conference such a memorable and impactful day. Together, we’re helping more young people see the opportunities available to them and build the skills and confidence they need for success.