EDUCATION TRAINING NEWS

Nominations are now open for Truro and Penwith College’s 2021 Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards.

With a year’s hiatus in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 will be the sixth annual Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards, and the college is again on the hunt to recognise exceptional apprentices and employers at the gala dinner and awards evening on Friday November 19.

Falmouth University’s Launchpad programme has welcomed Beta Earth Venture Studio as a strategic partner.

In collaboration with Launchpad, Beta Earth Venture Studio will help guide students through the venture building process and mentor the teams for a year, steering them through the market.

James Murray, head of Launchpad, said: “We’re really excited to announce the first in a new chapter of strategic partnerships. Strategic partners with the vision and capacity to co-create and co-invest in our teams is a huge step in the right direction for public/private innovation.

“Beta Earth represents an organisation with the reach and knowledge that gives our venture teams a massive advantage in the market to co-create robust impactful ventures, supported by our excellent access to talent, a world-class master’s degree course and state-of-the-art facilities.” Falmouth University is worth £100 million to Cornwall’s economy every year, the equivalent of around £1 in every £109 produced in the Duchy, according to a new independent economic study.

The report also reveals that by 2030, Falmouth University could contribute as much as £200 million and provide 4,260 jobs in Cornwall.

A brand-new, one-off Community Champion category has been added to the event, to recognise apprentices who have gone the extra mile to support their employer and local community throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The college has extended the eligibility criteria for the 2021 Awards to ensure it is open to those who missed out in 2020, accepting nominations for any apprentice or employer who has been involved in apprenticeship training since June 2019.

Nominations are now open for all 17 categories and are being accepted on the College’s website where information on all of the categories, eligibility and the awards evening is also available.

www.truro-penwith.ac.uk/CAA

The study by Hatch describes how the university is adding value to the region as a major employer and purchaser. It found that in 2018/19 the university spent £7 million with suppliers in Cornwall; supported 2030 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs in the Cornish economy and generated £26 million GVA (Gross Value Added) in the Cornwall economy through student and visitor spending.

The report also explored the role of Falmouth University as a driver of skills development and as a research and innovation hub.

Vice-chancellor and chief executive professor, Anne Carlisle said: “As the only university headquartered in Cornwall, we’re proud to act as an anchor institution, fully committed to driving the development of the region’s economy.

“It’s fantastic to read this report and see how the institution is not only providing value for its students, it’s also delivering major economic benefits to our wider community.”