If there was simply no work to be done in this county and no-one looking for work, then we might not need a Local Enterprise Partnership.

The fact that this has never been the case means that Cumbria LEP has an important role to play.

It has drawn up a document called the Cumbria Local Industrial Strategy, which identifies some of the problems we are facing.

There are areas with high levels of unemployment, especially among the young. And yet in some sectors there is a shortage of people to fill the vacancies available.

This is often because there aren’t enough jobseekers with the skills or higher level qualifications needed.

It’s good to know that something is being done. The LEP is working with training providers and employers in plans to fill jobs with properly skilled jobseekers, so that everyone benefits.

Craig Ivison of the LEP says: “We want to make the best use of available talent, develop and retain higher skills and create a future workforce that meets employer needs.”

There are many school or college leavers here who feel they have no choice but to move away to pursue careers. This needn’t be the case.

The network of LEP Enterprise Advisers from the world of business who will go into schools and colleges can alert them to this.

The UK economy is bound to shift and change in the coming years, whatever kind of Brexit we end up with. That is creating uneasiness among many businesses and jobseekers alike.

But what is certain is that there are opportunities in the pipeline.

The multi-million pound Borderlands Growth Deal could bring 5,500 jobs to Cumbria and southern Scotland. The brand new village just south of Carlisle will need people to build around 10,000 new houses. There is the continuing decommissioning work at Sellafield and whatever is going to replace it.

And there’s another strong argument for pursuing a career in Cumbria. There is hardly a better quality of life to be had anywhere else in the UK.