Andrew Dodds: ‘the key is to recognise and promote your transferable skills’

Andrew Dodds is the Social Enterprise Manager at All Together (ATC), a community interest company that was set up in 2018 by Morgan Sindall, which invests in providing the people of Cumbria with opportunities and access to employment.

ATC has a vision to develop a more sustainable and resilient workforce for the future of Cumbria and is led by a management committee comprising Jacobs, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and Sellafield Ltd.

With a background in training, further education and skills development, Andy has undertaken a review of the strategic direction of the business and is delivering a new skills and employability plan.

Could you tell us more about the work of ATC?

All Together Cumbria operates a recruitment desk, working with recruitment agency partners such as Westlakes Recruit, to generate revenues for re-investment in skills and employability programmes. These programmes not only provide opportunities for individuals, but also enable businesses to develop a more sustainable local workforce whilst delivering social impact.

How does ATC support the creation and retention of a diverse workforce in Cumbria?

All Together Cumbria focuses on three key themes within the construction, engineering and nuclear sectors:

Workforce participation – enabling and empowering people into meaningful employment including widening opportunities for workforce participation amongst under-represented groups.

Career development – providing greater opportunity for career advancement for people living and working in Cumbria, assisting in the development of the Cumbrian workforce to meet skills challenges.

Education outreach – engaging with young people, assisting in the discovery and development of career opportunities within Cumbria.

How has the reinvestment of revenue impacted the local area?

All Together Cumbria has been busy with a number of initiatives recently.  We have sponsored and participated in Walking with the Wounded’s Cumbrian Challenge, to help raise money towards their work to help army veterans to gain employment, as part of ATC’s theme of widening workforce participation from underrepresented and disadvantaged groups. 

Partnering with one of our members, Story, we have also helped students from Lakes College with special educational needs to secure work experience at the Story Homes development at Whins View in High Harrington.

This was followed by an employability programme aimed at those on the autism spectrum to help them prepare for work. The programme helped nine people to develop essential work-related skills such as communication, problem solving and teamwork. Candidates took part in a range of activities, gaining the confidence to move forward into employment.

Our latest initiative has been the Festival of Work, held at Lakes College, which attracted hundreds of visitors with over 40 employers participating to showcase over 700 local job vacancies.  They were joined by over 20 support organisations, including education providers and Westlakes Recruit, to enable people to secure the opportunities on offer.

The first half of the festival was dedicated to inspiring over 500 secondary school pupils to consider a future in construction, engineering or nuclear, including an interactive programme of workshop activities ranging from non-destructive testing, bridge building and seminars on writing a great CV and identifying transferable skills.

The afternoon saw the focus switch to adults looking to start, progress or change their career in those key industries and receive expert advice on how to get there.

What advice would you give to local talent who are currently seeking new opportunities within the construction, engineering and nuclear sectors?

My main advice would be to have the confidence to put yourself forward.  With an aging workforce and growing demand for labour, there is a perfect opportunity to move into these sectors which really need new talent to meet future workforce requirements.  The key is to recognise and promote your transferable skills, rather than excluding yourself based on limited or no specific experience in the sector.

How can local business get involved in ATC?

To maximise the impact of our work, we welcome new members of All Together Cumbria.

Businesses can get involved by accessing our recruitment partners, such as Westlakes Recruit, through the All Together Cumbria recruitment desk for expert support in resourcing, which will help generate revenues for reinvestment in our skills and employability programmes.  Businesses can also get involved in these programmes, such as providing work experience/placements and contributing to educational projects, providing further opportunities to demonstrate social impact in the local community.

To find out more about becoming a member of ATC contact info@alltogethercumbria.com

If you’d like to find out more about All Together Cumbria and the work they do, please visit:

All Together Cumbria – All Together Cumbria

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