Carlisle College is leading the countywide push, which has been unveiled just as a survey by the CBI identified a “critical” lack of skilled workers nationally.
Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) secured the funding for the two-year programme, which involves working directly with employers to raise the skills of the workforce.
Although led by Carlisle College, it involves the county’s other further-education colleges, Newton Rigg, the University of Cumbria, training providers such as GEN II and JHP Training, and Inspira.