The regeneration strategy of Workington also incorporates employment initiatives, which are targeting those wards within Allerdale with the highest indexes of deprivation. The objective of the initiatives is to ensure that residents of deprived wards have the necessary skills to compete effectively in the local job market. The key elements of the employment initiatives are:

The Stoneleigh Centre, opened in 2001, has already become a vital asset in Workington's regeneration strategy. Job preparation training for careers in the information technology, construction and care industries are already provided by Rathbone Training in addition to educational support for young people aged 14-16. A community creche will soon be opened, which will be available to centre users with children. The Into Work outreach workers, Roger and Lyndsay are also based in the centre twice a week, helping people into work and maximising their income.

The aim of the project was to promote the desire to make Workington Town Centre the most helpful, friendly and desirable place to shop in Cumbria - where people are made to feel valued and welcome every time they visit. Local businesses were invited to sign up their employees for the training, and the initiative generated an encouraging response, with over fifty people signed up to the initiative. The initiative was delivered via a series of workshops co-ordinated by Allerdale Borough Council and is part of a wider objective to encourage inward investment into Workington, especially with the new town centre development on the horizon.

The Into Work Project is designed so that Workington, Clifton and Maryport residents have the best possible chance to access local job opportunities. The project is one strand of a series of initiatives, to enable unemployed local people to rejoin the labour market. Clients will be referred to the fund via the two employment outreach workers, Roger and Lyndsay, who are based at the Citizen's Advice Bureau. They will be spending a majority of their time in the community, raising awareness and equipping residents to take advantage of employment opportunities that arise locally. The outreach workers will be providing a holistic support service including confidential benefit calculations and checks, in-work benefits advice and referral to other agencies.

The Into Work Fund will provide a flexible funding pot to assist clients ineligible for mainstream assistance to overcome their individual barriers to rejoining the labour market. Grants will be available at the council's discretion, based on the referral reports from Roger and Lyndsay. The Fund aims to be as flexible as possible and every application will be considered on merit. Examples of funding would be:

There is a national shortage of skilled construction workers, particularly bricklayers and joiners. The aim of the Local Labour In Construction initiative is to ensure there is a pool of highly skilled employees locally, to meet the expected staffing needs of the construction industries as a result of the forthcoming town centre redevelopment scheme. The training provider GEN2 has chosen to deliver the project and will be working closely with the construction companies involved in the town centre redevelopment to ensure that any labour shortages are met with graduates from the GEN2 training programme.