JOB opportunities in the health and care sectors will be showcased by employers as part of an initiative launched this week.

Inspira, which supports employers to meet skills gaps across Cumbria and Lancashire, is running a free course in Barrow which will help people looking for jobs in the care sector.

The course leads to guaranteed interviews with employers such as Risedale Care Homes, MSH Healthcare and Creative Support who have vacancies for care roles in the area.

It’s part of Inspira’s role in supporting employers in a wide range of sectors across the North-West with its highly successful pre-employment programmes.

Those who take part in the latest free Health, Social and Child Care course, gain important care qualifications, are given help with CV and vacancy applications, and provided with guaranteed interviews with employers.

Julia Winder, Inspira’s Area Operations Manager for Barrow and the South Lakes, said: “We have had tremendous success by offering similar courses. It’s wonderful to see individuals who haven’t necessarily felt they had the skills or the confidence to apply for particular roles develop through the course, gain work and see the positive difference that makes to their lives.

“Giving these individuals the skills needed to apply for vacant job roles also helps employers across Cumbria and Lancashire provide vital services in our communities. We receive a lot of positive feedback from employers on the people who have come through and completed Inspira’s courses, which is a wonderful outcome for everyone involved.”

The latest care course builds on the vital work Inspira did earlier in the Covid pandemic when the NHS raised a critical incident due to the lack of beds that were available from being unable to move patients out of the NHS into care homes or home with care support. 

Julia Winder offered to work with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), to help fill care vacancies by running a Health and Social Care employability course which also involved care employers offering guaranteed interviews. 

The initiative resulted in nine clients starting on the course in Cumbria, with previous levels of unemployment ranging from four months to more than six years, and as a result of the work they did on the course they were all offered roles by employers in the sector.

Enrolment for Inspira’s latest Health, Social and Child Care Course takes place at Inspira, 237-241 Dalton Road, Barrow, at 10am-noon, on Friday, May 6 and 10am-noon on Monday, May 9. Contact 01229-824052 for further details.