Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Employment and Enterprise
Employment and Enterprise helps young people across Cornwall get ready for the world of work.
The team works in partnership with:
- Employers
- Schools
- Colleges
- Home Educators
Within the service, three dedicated teams collaborate to support young people:
- Your Future Kernow
- Youth Engagement Project (YEP)
- Education Business Partnership (EBP)
Each team plays a vital role in helping young people:
- Build essential skills
- Explore career opportunities
- Prepare for their future
Together, these teams empower the next generation to thrive in education, employment, and beyond.
Your Future Kernow
Your Future Kernow offers advice, guidance, and signposting support to eligible young people and their families across Cornwall. The service mainly supports students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) as they move into post-16 education. It also works with young people in care, care leavers, and those in alternative provision, including hospital education and elective home education.
YEP
The YEP programme supports young people aged 16 to 24 in Cornwall who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), or at risk of becoming NEET, including those with special educational needs or from vulnerable groups. As one of eleven project partners, our dedicated team works to build participants’ confidence and resilience, equipping them with skills and opportunities to prepare for the world of work.
Supported Internships
Supported Internships help young people aged 16 to 24 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) gain skills for work. Most learning takes place in the workplace, supported by a Job Coach who helps build confidence and independence. Interns can also work towards qualifications like English and Maths. These unpaid placements aim to lead to paid employment.
Education Business Partnership (EBP)
STEAM- EBP deliver engaging STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). Through hands-on engineering challenges, students are encouraged to develop innovative solutions, gain practical experience, and build essential life skills. These events are held in schools, organisations, and universities across Cornwall and beyond, helping to connect learning with real-world applications.
LegoLego League- The Lego League is a global program designed to engage young people in STEAM through robotics and problem-solving challenges. In Cornwall, EBP organises the event, bringing together around 500 students over two days at HMS Culdrose.
Carbon Neutral Schools-Project - EBP helps schools take climate action. EBP supports eco-education by connecting schools with trusted organisations that deliver climate workshops and green project support. In partnership with Let’s Go Zero, the EBP team is helping schools cut carbon from their buildings and grounds by calculating emissions and developing Climate Action Plans.
Eco-Events
RSC Project - In partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry, EBP deliver an inspiring workshops to schools. The aim to build student interest in STEAM careers. This project shows how chemistry is used in everyday life. It helps students understand the value of scientific application. It encourages them to imagine future careers in exciting and fast-moving scientific fields.
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Students Inspired by Heritage Careers
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Expo Ertach Kernow / Cornish Heritage ExpoA Celebration of Cornish Heritage and Careers
On Friday 3rd October, Pendennis Castle in Falmouth hosted the Expo Ertach Kernow – a Cornish Heritage Expo designed to inspire young people and the wider public about the rich career opportunities within the heritage sector.
Organised by the English Heritage Team, the event welcomed 203 students from eight different educational settings, including mainstream schools, colleges, and alternative education providers. The aim was to showcase the diversity of roles in heritage and conservation, from traditional crafts to cutting-edge technologies.
Gavin’s Role in the Event
Please meet Gavin Beresford, Senior Business Support Process Officer in the Employment and Enterprise Team. Gavin plays a key role behind the scenes, ensuring the smooth running of processes and finance across the team — and at events like the Cornish Heritage Expo, he’s often the one making sure everything comes together seamlessly.
As Senior Business Support Process Officer, Gavin supported the event from planning to delivery. He joined a pre-event site tour with Jo Ledger (Project Lead) to finalise logistics, ordered resources, and prepared welcome packs for teachers. On the day, he briefed stallholders on student engagement, distributed stickers for meaningful interactions, and managed school registration and safety protocols. Gavin also acted as a key contact for the English Heritage and Pendennis Castle teams, ensuring smooth operations throughout the day.What Happened on the Day
The event featured around 50 exhibitors, including historical architects, blacksmiths, stone masons, and conservationists. Students were captivated by live demonstrations of traditional skills and tools that have been used for generations. They also explored modern innovations like robotic dogs, ultrasound, and sonar mapping technologies used to survey historical sites.
Student Impact and Feedback
There was a vibrant buzz in the main marquee, with students engaging deeply with exhibitors. Many asked insightful questions and expressed surprise at the range of careers available in the heritage sector. One student remarked how amazed they were by the integration of technology in preserving history.
"An amazing event that inspired many pupils." - Gavin BeresfordLooking Ahead
The Expo highlighted the importance of preserving Cornwall’s unique identity and passing down traditional skills to future generations. It also opened students’ eyes to exciting career paths they may not have considered before.
Kernow Heritage EventCreated by Gavin Beresford – Senior Business Support Process Officer
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EBP SLA
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The Education Business Partnership (EBP) offers a dynamic range of programmes designed to equip students with the confidence and essential skills needed for success in education, employment, and training. Our services include impartial Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG), STEM challenge activities, employability workshops, and tailored programmes such as "Passport to Work Experience" – including a version for SEND students. EBP also provides essential health and safety preparation for work experience placements.
All sessions are delivered by experienced, DBS-checked consultants and are tailored to the needs of individual schools and students. Programmes support key Gatsby benchmarks and are available in a variety of formats, with discounts for multiple bookings. For more information or to book, schools can visit Cornwall Council’s Services for Schools portal or contact the EBP team directly: ebp@cornwall.gov.uk
To view our full offer, please refer to the EBP SLA document located at the top right of this page.
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Celebrating All Eco-Schools
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Eco-School LocationsThis year, Cornwall has seen a massive 120% increase in schools joining the Eco Schools initiative!41 schools have now been awarded Eco School status, after leading on impressive initiatives to improve their school environments and impact the world on a local level.
Eco-Schools is a growing phenomenon which encourages young people to engage in their environment by allowing them the opportunity to actively protect it. Involving children in the Eco-Schools project in the UK offers numerous benefits that extend beyond the classroom. Participation fosters environmental awareness and education, equipping pupils with the knowledge to make sustainable choices and develop eco-friendly habits.
The Eco-Schools programme is designed to be pupil-led and the Eco-Schools Green Flag is an annual accreditation which celebrates the efforts of young people in that community.
Just a few of the inspirational ideas students across Cornwall have led as part of the project include assemblies, planting vegetables, trees, and herb gardens, setting campaigns for families to take part in, creating bug hotels, nominating eco monitors, creating bird feeders and going on bug hunts.
“This project has deepened the children's sense of purpose, responsibility and ownership of their environment. This was all about engaging in a national project of global value that connects environmental education and action and demonstrates how a small cog, at a local level, can make a big difference.” (Ben Stephenson, Headteacher at Nanstallon Primary School, an official Eco School for 2024)
A huge well done to Cornwall’s Eco Schools!
- Happy Days Nursery Falmouth
- Sithney Community Primary School
- Roskear Primary School
- Trannack Primary School
- Pennoweth Primary and Nursery School
- Portreath Primary School
- Pencoys Primary School
- Porthleven School
- Lanner School
- Illogan School
- Godolphin Primary School
- Halwin School
- Parc Eglos School
- Rosemellin County Primary School
- Garras Community Primary School
- St Stephens Community Primary School
- St Mabyn C of E School
- Richard Lander School
- Weeth Community Primary School
- Happy Days Nursery & Preschool Truro
- Happy Days Nursery & Preschool, Summercourt
- Mawnan C of E VA Primary School
- Redruth School
- Doubletrees School
- Happy Days Nursery Truro
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Bodmin
- Happy Days Nursery St Austell
- Sir Robert Geffery's CofE VA School
- Happy Days Nursery Treloweth
- Truro School
- Oak Tree School
- Germoe Community Primary School
- Treviglas Academy
- St Erth Community Primary School
- Nanstallon Primary School
- Nine Maidens Alternative Provision Academy
- CHES Academy
- St Dennis Primary Academy
- St. Columb Minor Academy
- Wadebridge Primary Academy
- Boskenwyn Community Primary School
Go Eco-Schools!
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A huge success for Alfie and YEP!
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Alfie, a young individual who was referred to Cornwall Council in search of outdoor employment, has achieved success following an interview held at Mount Pleasant Eco Park.
The Education Business Partnership’s dedicated Youth Engagement Officer collaborated with Alfie to understand his preferences and enhance his CV.
Following this, Alfie was then passed to the Youth Employment Officer who refined his interview skills and identified a suitable position, ultimately connecting him with the Eco Park who were looking for a general site maintenance worker.
On the condition of a successful trial shift, Alfie will be offered two days a week initially, with potential for a third day, contributing to the day-to-day operations of the Eco Park.
His responsibilities will include supporting various activities including managing the campsite and allotments maintenance, overseeing indoor and outdoor events spaces, and assisting in the setup and dismantling of the renowned Tropical Pressure Festival.
General Manager Claire Marshall said: “We believe Alfie will thrive on our site nestled on the cliffs above Porthtowan. He brings a lot of skill to the role after working with his uncle on his far, such as using power tools and operating agricultural machinery. We hope he can learn new skills and develop his confidence during his time with us and are excited for him to start.”
Alfie will still have access to all of the resources YEP can offer through the Council and various other partners.
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Spectacular STEM
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Enterprise ActivityEnterprise Excellence: Supported Work Experience
Exciting Enterprise Activity Alert!
On Friday 24th May, students @Brannel School, explored the world of innovation and problem-solving with the LEGO Spike Essential system, with George from The Education Business Partnership (EBP).
As part of their supported work experience programme, they tackled a range of challenges, from building robots to mastering coding skills. This was a culmination of a full week of activities to inspire and motivate pupils.
The pupils kicked off with a simple build and code task to introduce the students to the kit. They assembled:
- A helicopter with moving rotor blades and a searchlight
- A mini golf robot game with built in celebration
- A wildlife detection system with colour sensor and custom alerts
A fairground marble maze with light and sound effects
The students excelled, so we upped the ante with a thrilling mission: designing and constructing remote control vehicles for a live-action version of rocket league! They tweaked their vehicles for maximum competitiveness and fine-tuned the coding interface to tackle navigation challenges.
They enjoyed demonstrating their teamwork, problem solving, communication, coding, creativity and so much more - a great way to round of their Supported Work Experience week.
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Royal Society of Chemistry Project and Tallend Bay Hotel
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Today an inspirational culinary class was conducted with Mark Lewin from Cornwall Hospitality Collective and Truro and Penwith College alongside the Manager of The Tallend Bay Hotel, Jack Ashby-Wright.
EBP, generously funded by The Royal Society of Chemistry, is committed to delivering workshops that actively engage students in exploring future career paths. In partnership with Liskeard School and Community College, the aim is to cultivate enthusiasm among students for the fascinating realm of chemistry and its diverse career prospects. During the session with Cornwall Hospitality Collective and Tallend Bay Hotel, students acquired valuable front-of-house skills and insights into delivering five-star dining experiences.
The session was purely focused on front of house skills. Etiquette, customer service, team work, communication and building confidence, which are important transferable skills. Mark and Jack promoted not just full-time careers in their profession but also meaningful part time work experience for those looking to build skills and add to their CV.
Jack and Mark cooked off some quality bacon and prepped lettuce, tomatoes and brioche buns whilst talking about careers and training.
The pupils got to lay their own place settings, serve their fellow pupils and were challenged to see who could make the best BLT. Jack and Mark also taught them how to pour sparkling grape juice around the table.
It was a delight to see all pupils come out of their shells and get involved. This proved to be an inspirational way to show them there are great careers in the hospitality profession.
Jack has now formed a relationship with the school and is working on taking the school and it's pupils to the hotel.
Mark and Jack
Mark in Action
Delicious Delights
Cheers to Chemistry!
