Two teams have come together to offer a new range of courses to individuals and businesses across the county.

Carlisle College and Story Contracting have joined forces to offer the new service, aiming to support personal development and growth, with investment in top class facilities and tutors who are experts in their fields with real industry experience.

Story Contracting has a dedicated training centre, and during the last year alone, the team has delivered more than 500 training sessions.

These included bite-sized workshops, which have been effectively adapted for online delivery to make it as convenient as possible for everyone involved to achieve their goals.

Carlisle College also has access to a range of funding options to support both individuals and businesses with the cost of training which can be used, subject to eligibility, to support workforce development.

Mark Drummond, head of training and development at Story Contracting, said: “As a business, we are very excited about the opportunity to jointly collaborate with one of the county's premier learning institutes.

"It’s our aim to ensure that the delegates attending our courses leave with new skills, and the confidence to put their learning into action.”

Andy Dodds, assistant principal of Carlisle College, added: “Carlisle College has extensive experience in delivering training to meet the needs of local business, working with over 350 leading local employers to deliver apprenticeships, and working with many more to deliver both commercial and funded training programmes.

"We are delighted to be working with Story Contracting to extend this offer further, delivering courses that will meet a range of training needs and draw upon the expertise of both organisations.”

Across the partnership, the dedicated team of trainers are able to offer a wide range of courses, including Leadership and Management, Business Improvement Techniques, Problem Solving and Critical Thinking, Manual Handling, Fire Safety Awareness and Asbestos Awareness.

Bespoke training packages are also available for businesses wishing to design and attend multiple courses.

To find out more, or to register your interest in the courses, visit www.carlisle.ac.uk/StoryContracting.html.