Page 9 - Barrow Town Deal Board Agenda 14/4/2020

Barrow Town Investment Plan - Stakeholder Insight Report

Theme Summary point
• In attracting workers to the town to take up opportunities in BAE Barrow needs to consider what employment
opportunities are on offer for other members of the household, how they will spend their free time, what is the
education offer etc.
• Barrow’s low HE participation rate indicates a significant level of opportunity. Major investments in the town require
higher level skills to support growth.
• Barrow stands out on apprenticeship participation measures. Whilst Barrow is an identified HE cold spot, it is
important to note that some apprentices will progress to higher level qualifications through this route.
• It is also noted that Furness College currently have 500 learners accessing Higher Education courses. UoC are
also delivering project management and leadership skills to major employers directly, for example through the BAE
ASK facility.
• Engineering provision is a key strength of Furness College, with the ability to progress from L1 to L6 through
existing provision. Furness College has recently secured a £4.5m investment in an Advanced Manufacturing
Technology Centre.
• Furness College is working with Cumbria LEP to bid for Institute of Technology (IoT) framed around digital
technologies. Opportunities to facilitate collaboration by FE and HE on the digital agenda are key. The proposal will
support a strengthened digital network, facilitate digital skills across the economy, and build technological
capabilities.
• The current Sixth Form College needs modernisation. Any proposals to enhance this offer needs to be considered
in the context of academic pathways to higher level skills provision in the town. There may also be scope to include
this within the IoT submission.
• The University of Cumbria are actively looking at how they can widen their offer around Barrow’s key growth
sectors including Clean Growth, Advanced Manufacturing, Health and Social Care, and through the newly
established Institute for Business and Leadership. The proposed HE campus is considered to be a “gamechanger”.
However, the metrics are challenging as there is not the volume of demand in Cumbria. The alignment of this
project to a major employer will underpin its vitality, however, such a proposal “needs to deliver a breadth of offer
and be clear on demand”.
• The COVID19 pandemic will drive innovation in digital technology, and the “confidence and proof of concept for
people and organisations to embrace new ways of doing things which will extend geographical reach and markets”
• The role of BAE Systems as an anchor with “a longevity of commitment which provides a platform for growth”
• There is scope to drive growth in social enterprises to support community resilience and meet identified need.
• There are numerous low carbon energy opportunities in Barrow which can drive growth including O&M
opportunities linked to extensions to the Wind Farm; hydrogen opportunities linked to end of life of the gas terminal
and access to water; small modular nuclear reactors (BAE and Rolls Royce) which could be scaled up into the civil

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