We are committed to providing local employment opportunities, by ensuring our recruitment policy is inclusive of all social groups, unemployed or economically inactive persons living within the North West.

The core components of our policy:

• Promotion of youth employment by apprenticeship schemes .
• Promotion of employment of persons from disadvantaged groups through work placements.
• Promotion of employment opportunities for the long-term unemployed by providing training and short-term job placements to the long-term unemployed.
• Promotion of on the job skill development programmes including those for persons with disabilities

Under our training policy we are able to source and recruit local people through actively engaging with local community advertising opportunities in targeted areas in Cumbria including:

• Community noticeboards
• Letter drops informing residents of employment opportunities
• Community road show: providing opportunities to talk to staff about the employment opportunities available
• Trade days: providing opportunities to talk to staff about the employment opportunities available
• Local newspapers and targeted websites: advertising jobs

We aim to provide one apprenticeship/trainee opportunity completed to at least NVQ level 2 per £0.5m contract spend. Over the last 16 years we have successfully trained 34 apprentices.

Furthermore, in 2013 we established a charitable fund, supporting causes which encourage positive community activities, including:

• Retain 80% minimum project spend within the locality.
• Provide a minimum of 100 hours of free community work per year, and donate 0.5 hours of community work for every 100 hours of work allocated to us.
• Support local schools with materials, careers advice, attendance at school events, and work experience.
• Have committed £10,000 to support community events and programmes.

This fund has already achieved:

• Marine FC, Morton Manor Carlisle U18s and Pennine Way Carlisle U15s team sponsorship
• ‘12 Good Deeds of Christmas’, providing presents to community centres
• Construction materials supplied to Botcherby Carlisle Community Centre BMX Club
• Round Table Carlisle donations
• Youth Zone, hours bank and materials for repairs and maintenance
• Charity walk challenge for Valley Hospice Trust
• £ 2,500 donation to Sure Start Community Funding Project.

In addition to this we:

• Employ persons from disadvantaged groups by offering short periods of work placement.
• We enrolled in the CITB “Befair” Social Value Scheme and we are targeted to achieve Befair approved status supplier by 18/12/15
• We actively support the Shaw charitable trust and have an annual intake of trainees from socially disadvantaged backgrounds each year.
• Provide opportunities for LTUs through short term job placements, training and trade rotations throughout our organisation.
• Provide on-the-job skill development programmes including those for persons with disabilities.
• Monitor the diversity profile of the local community, and ensure our staff are representative of it.

We actively support the Shaw Charitable Trust and have an annual intake of trainees from socially disadvantaged backgrounds each year.