Lancashire Leads the Way in Upskilling as Initiatives Bring New Prospects to the County

Although Office for National Statistics data showed unemployment rates in the United Kingdom have been rising in the first quarter of 2025 to a four-year high of 4.5%, Lancashire ended last year with a far lower rate of 3.2%.

This figure falls lower than the North West’s 4% rate of unemployment over the same period, showing that the county is a leader when it comes to supporting residents with job opportunities and the chance to grow their skills prior to entering the workplace.

With a particular focus on supporting the county’s workforce of tomorrow, it’s clear that Lancashire’s proactive approach to upskilling the next generation of innovators is critical to its impressive employment rates.

Investing in Tomorrow’s Workforce

Schemes like the Lancashire Skills Pledge have helped to support local workers and have seen a total of 289 businesses engage in 690 pledges to upskill and recruit within the county across a wide range of industries.

With sectors involved in the Skills Pledge ranging from construction to recycling, sales, marketing, and navigation, among others, the initiative is an example of the many positive causes that have helped to boost Lancashire’s fight against unemployment.

The county has also taken a proactive role in supporting tomorrow’s workforce by ramping up efforts to accommodate apprenticeships that prepare young adults for work.

In November, Lancashire County Council announced plans to put £300,000 into funding 100 extra apprenticeship incentives for employers as part of its ambitious Young Apprenticeship Grant scheme, which was introduced in 2022 and has already onboarded 126 young people.

Provided for small and medium employers in Lancashire to encourage more businesses to take on apprentices or offer upskilling programs to younger staff, the local authority-funded scheme has already provided financial support to 94 organisations throughout Lancashire.

Covering industries that range from aerospace to hair and beauty, and plenty of key job roles in between, 103 of the apprenticeships developed with the Young Apprenticeship Grant scheme have been delivered by the county’s colleges and various providers.

Supporting Young Jobseekers

May also saw Lancashire’s YES Hub, a youth employment and skills hub based in Nelson, celebrate its fourth anniversary while welcoming organisations and key stakeholders to mark the event.

Created in 2021 as part of a collaboration between Pendle Borough Council, Positive Action in the Community, the Department for Work and Pensions, and charity Active Lancashire, the YES Hub has so far provided support to over 1,500 young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

The hub was initially set up to help young people during the pandemic, but is now a community mainstay that offers employment support, well-being services, and physical activity for individuals who may be in need of help for a variety of reasons.

The success of the YES Hub is another example of how local councils have sought to make positive changes to the way young people are cared for as they begin their careers.

In 2024, Lancashire’s percentage of residents aged between 16 and 17 who were NEET was 3.1%, considerably lower than the regional rate of 4.1% and a little lower than the UK’s average of 3.2%.

Embracing The Future of Tech

The location of the United Kingdom’s new National Cyber Force (NCF) headquarters, which is due to be built later this year in Samlesbury near Preston, will be crucial in shaping the county’s future as a vibrant tech hub.

During Lancashire’s Cyber Education Week earlier this year, Air Vice-Marshal Tim Neal-Hopes participated in a ‘cyber skills takeover,’ which was designed to showcase the tech careers that could be available to more than 12,000 pupils and students across the county’s 200 schools.

It’s estimated that the National Cyber Force (NCF) headquarters will generate 2,000 jobs over the course of the next decade, helping to accelerate the county’s tech credentials in the process.

The tech hub could also help Lancashire to further its footing in the industry, with the prospect of onboarding local tech talent while outsourcing collaborative teams in tech-savvy nations like India, Poland, and the Philippines.

The initiative can also help Lancashire work alongside more of Europe’s emerging tech hubs, with hiring from countries like Portugal and Spain opening the door to offering further exposure to growing tech-savvy workforces to share skills and competencies.

Keeping Business Within Lancashire

Another reason why Lancashire is continuing to thrive when it comes to employment rates is the willingness of local businesses to continue investing in the county rather than move elsewhere.

April saw Solomon Commercials, a family-run manufacturer of refrigerated vehicles based in the Rossendale Valley for 48 years, recently announce that it’s submitting a planning application for a new 40,000-square-foot factory locally, which will generate an additional 100 jobs.

It’s clear that Lancashire is a county full of opportunities for investment in people, and its leading businesses are continuing to recognise the potential that the county offers.

With more opportunities set to grow throughout Lancashire in the months and years ahead, it’s clear that there’s plenty to be optimistic about for employment within the county.