INCLUSION Access to employment, training and educational opportunities can be challenging for people with additional needs, such as those who are neurodiverse, have physical or learning disabilities, or experience significant mental health challenges. National estimates from October to December 2023 indicate that 10.21 million people of working age (16 to 64), or 24%, reported being disabled, marking an increase of 459,000 from the previous year. While the employment rate for individuals without disabilities stood at 82%, the employment rate for those with disabilities was notably lower at 54.2%.17 Within Carlisle, collective and targeted work by public agencies, employers and voluntary groups – such as Cumbria CVS’s Step Forward project – is taking place to encourage people who are the furthest removed from the job market to find routes into learning, training and work opportunities. This includes older people, people who are unemployed, refugees and asylum seekers and those with additional learning needs. We make our money in this area, and we like to give back. We are a family business, and it gives us great pleasure. Cumbria Community Foundation doesn’t waste your money. They know where the money can be used well. Member of the Business Community 4A useful document exploring these issues is the ‘Fair Recruitment and Employing People who have Experienced Disadvantage’ produced by Inspiring Change Manchester https://www.gmgoodemploymentcharter.co.uk/media/2313/fair-recruitment-and-employing-people-who-have-experienced-disadvantage-2022.pdf 5https://www.carlisle.gov.uk/Portals/0/Documents/invest%20in%20Carlisle.pdf 6Carlisle Town Investment Plan, Carlisle Town Deal Board, 2021. 7https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021/report?compare=E07000028,E12000002,E92000001#section_ 8Universal Credit is a payment to help with living costs. It’s paid monthly and individuals may be able to get it if they are on a low income, out of work or cannot work https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit 9Coram Childcare Survey 2024: Hodges. L, Shorto. S, Goddard, E., 2024 https://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/sites/default/files/Childcare%20Survey%202024_1.pdf 10https://www.cumberland.gov.uk/schools-and-education/early-years-education-and-childcare/early-years-strategy-2023-2025 11UCAS Undergraduate end of cycle data resources 20242023, dashboard: UCAS Undergraduate end of cycle data resources 2024 | UCAS https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/ undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resources-2023 12Estimated proportion of 18-year-olds starting full-time undergraduate courses through UCAS, 2022. 13House of Commons Library, Research Briefing: Higher education student numbers, Bolton. P, 2024, https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7857/ 14Level 4 or above qualifications include: degree, Level 4 NVQ, Higher Apprenticeship or higher qualification. 15Level 3 qualifications include: A level, level 3 NVQ, Advanced Apprenticeship. 16Data from annual population survey, released in 2023, Labour Market Briefing December 2024: Cumbria Intelligence Observatory, December 2024 17House of Commons Library research briefing, Disabled People in Employment: 2024 https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7540/#:~:text=There%20were%20 5.53%20million%20working,are%20not%20disabled%20was%2082.0%25 Tourism and Regeneration Tourism is an important and growing economic sector for Carlisle, generating over £715m to the local economy, attracting nearly 8 million visitors per annum and employing over 7,000 people. Carlisle attracted 15% of all tourist days spent in Cumbria, with many people coming to experience Hadrian’s Wall – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: the Solway Coast and the North Pennines. But there is scope to do more, and Carlisle is already one step ahead in its plans to attract more tourists and increase visitor spend. Existing visitor attractions, including the museum at Tullie, are being redeveloped to offer a broader range of quality attractions. There is also the possibility of creating new tourist attractions as more of Carlisle’s rich archaeological heritage is uncovered, such as the Roman Bathhouse currently being excavated by the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project at Carlisle Cricket Club. Major regeneration initiatives, including improvements to Carlisle railway station and the Citadels project, are helping to project a positive image to visitors, thanks to funding from place-based programmes such as the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and the Future High Streets Fund. Partners including Carlisle College and the University of Cumbria are also acting to ensure there is a skilled workforce to meet current and future demands. By offering qualifications and skills training, including Diplomas in Travel and Tourism and degree qualifications that help promote and protect the natural environment, partners are working hard to meet the skills demands associated with further growth in the tourism sector. Many of the tourist attractions in Carlisle benefit enormously from the support and goodwill of local volunteers. These individuals generously dedicate their time and experience, taking on a wide variety of roles and responsibilities from tour guides to caretakers, from Board Trustees to gardeners. And as with the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project, volunteering programmes too can often act as a stepping stone to help local people get back to work and engage more fully with community life. CASE STUDY It is the stories that are coming out from the Roman Bathhouse excavations – they are absolutely phenomenal. The number of professional archaeologists on site is quite small but members of the community have been brought in to do all sorts of jobs – digging, washing finds, sieving mud – and it’s always oversubscribed. Heritage Sector Trustee Photo © Stuart Walker Carlisle: Opportunities & Challenges 2025 26 27
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