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Cumbria

Local Skills Improvement Plan 2026-2029 · set by Cumbria Chamber of Commerce

8
Priority sectors
20
Occupations in demand
36
Skills named
9
Funding streams

The Cumbria LSIP 2026-2029 is an employer-led plan (ERB: Cumbria Chamber of Commerce) aligning skills provision with a structurally tight, ageing-workforce labour market. It names six priority sectors: advanced manufacturing (including defence), construction, energy and net zero, health and social care, land-based industries, and visitor economy (including cultural and creative); five of these align with national Industrial Strategy sectors (advanced manufacturing, clean energy, construction, defence, health and social care), with digital/AI/robotics treated as a cross-cutting enabling capability.

What employers here asked for

  • Land-based industries
  • Visitor economy (including cultural & creative)
  • Digital, AI and robotics (cross-cutting enabling capability)
  • Professional services (e.g. accountancy)

National growth sectors

Designated by government, not chosen locally.

  • Advanced manufacturing (including defence)
  • Construction
  • Energy and net zero
  • Health and social care

Occupations in demand

A sample: 16 of the 20 occupations the plan names.

  1. 01Welders
  2. 02Machinists
  3. 03Production operatives
  4. 04Electricians (domestic and industrial)
  5. 05Engineering technicians
  6. 06Nuclear engineers
  7. 07Roofers
  8. 08Groundworkers
  9. 09Fenestration installers
  10. 10Civil engineering technicians
  11. 11Chef de partie
  12. 12Commis chef
  13. 13Hospitality team members
  14. 14Cooks
  15. 15Care and support workers
  16. 16Social workers

Jobs advertised right now

Skills named in the plan

A sample: 12 of the 36 skills the plan names, grouped by kind.

Technical

  • Level 2-3 technical and trade skills
  • Entry-level workforce supply across priority sectors
  • Higher technical and professional skills (Level 4+)
  • Advanced technical skills (robotics maintenance, AI-enabled quality assurance, data-driven decision-making, systems engineering)
  • Cyber security
  • Welding
  • Machining
  • Electrical skills (domestic and industrial)
  • Plumbing and heating
  • Heat pump installation

Digital

  • Digital capability and technology-enabled skills (automation, robotics, AI)
  • Foundational digital competence