Cumbria Community Foundation - Furness: Opportunities and Challenges 2021

F U R N E S S – O P P O R T U N I T I E S & C H A L L E N G E S 27 Stuart Klosinski is an economic expert and founder of Furness-based Klosinski Economic Development Consultants. With more than 25 years of experience working in the area, it is his role to help developers and local authorities to design and deliver economic development projects and infrastructure programmes. He said: “In Furness you’ve got a sharp contrast between the availability of well-paid jobs and all the main concentrations of employment, but some of the wards are the most deprived. In some areas you have 45% of households with no adults in work. “This has been an issue that people have tried to address over a number of years - the lack of aspiration among young people. “The major employers know the importance of having a local workforce and are investing heavily in apprenticeship schemes and skills programmes. “There’s a lot of talk of young people going away to study and not coming back, but surveys we’ve done of major firms in the area show that they don’t have a problem attracting graduates, they have a problem finding jobs for partners and persuading people to stay here long term.” Furness’s reliance on the shipyard in Barrow is well- documented, but it is not the sole driver of the local economy. The range of companies operating in the area is vast, and the picture is always changing. Mr Klosinski said: “If you go back to 1990, you had 14,000 people in the shipyard, which was about one in three of the workforce. Compared to 2004, when there were only 3,000, there are now around 9,000. I think the last time I looked at it, we were about 2 per cent less dependent now on the shipyard than we were in 1990. So what does the future of Furness look like? “The struggles of high-street retailers are a concern for councils and ministers across the UK, and Furness is no different in that respect. A walk through most towns in the area will take you past numerous empty units and fewer people. “How urban centres adapt and evolve will also play a key part in attracting new people to the area, and also could be a factor in encouraging them to stay. “When looking at such a picturesque part of the world, it is fair to ask ‘do we make the most of tourism opportunities in Furness?’ “Furness isn’t viewed as a destination by many people, but this is a realisation that needs to be seen by Furness itself. “The attractions we need to capitalise on are the festivals in Ulverston, the events that could potentially be in Barrow, the Dock Museum, South Lakes Safari Zoo - which is probably the biggest attraction - and even the destination stores.” Furness Voices Business Views Stuart Klosinski “The high-end manufacturing research and development is what’s unique about Furness, and when we make things here it is generally for the high value and export markets, and the core industries we rely on are manufacturing, energy and nuclear.”