Your Future Kernow

The Team

Big Change

Your Future Kernow is the new name for CSW Group, now part of Cornwall Council’s Employment and Enterprise Team

We are a team of nine Career Development Consultants and two Engagement Administrators. Our team leaders are Barnaby Ridge and Janine Bisson. Your Future Kernow help young people move from school into their next steps after age 16.

We are an experienced and knowledgeable team who provide advice, guidance, and support to eligible young people and their families.

Now that we are part of Cornwall Council, we can work closely with other teams such as the Statutory SEN team. This has given us more chances to network and learn about the support available for young people in Cornwall. Once a month, we take part in a joint webinar. These sessions help us build strong relationships and solve problems more quickly.

One of the best parts of the move has been discovering how much we share the same values with our new colleagues. Everyone has been welcoming and supportive.

“Just as our clients make a transition, it’s been a change of people, processes and place for us. We have all shown our dynamism adapting to the change and we are embracing this opportunity to review and refresh our offer to young people in Cornwall. We’re very excited to become part of Your Future Kernow!” - Hayley Wood, Career Development Consultant

We work with many young people across Cornwall. Our main focus is helping students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) move into post-16 education. But we also support young people in care, care leavers, and those in alternative provision. This includes hospital education and home-educated students.

Schools and colleges offer great careers advice. Still, some young people need extra help. We use our skills to guide them past barriers. We help them find the right support and feel ready for their next step.

The best part of our job is seeing young people grow. We often start working with them in Year 9 and continue into their twenties. Watching them gain confidence, learn new skills, and succeed is very rewarding. It’s even better when they get a job, apprenticeship, or internship.

“It has been lovely to welcome Your Future Kernow into Cornwall Council, and especially into our team. They are a knowledgeable group, dedicated to helping young people in Cornwall. I’m looking forward to working with them more in the future to support our young people.” - Charlotte Clarke from the Employment and Enterprise Team

Our team are excited about a bright future within the council, working together with other teams to improve support for young people across Cornwall in their transitions.

Laura's Story.

Laura at Penryn College Penryn College and Your Futures Team Celebrate Student Success

Penryn College has had another great year. They have been helping students plan for life after school. With support from Cornwall Council and Your Futures team. Students got help making choices about further education and training.

Laura Morrison is a Career Development Consultant. She has worked with Penryn College for five years.

“It’s been a real pleasure working with Penryn College again this year. The support they give to their students is clear to see. They go above and beyond to help young people take those important next steps into Further Education and Training. Our partnership has been really positive and collaborative, and I’m proud to continue supporting the students in the years to come.” – Laura

Laura visited the school this term to thank staff for their hard work. She met with the Careers and ARB teams. Together, they make sure every student gets the support they need.

This year, Penryn College ran several careers events. One special event helped ARB students meet post-16 providers. Providers included: Cornwall College, Kehelland Trust, Cornwall Rural Community Charity, and Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change. Students and parents learned about different options and asked questions.

Students also took part in work experience. ARB students worked with local businesses. These placements helped them build skills and confidence.

The Careers and ARB teams, along with Laura, are proud of what they’ve achieved. They look forward to working together again next year to support even more students.

Post from Penryn College

The hard work and dedication of our Careers and ARB teams in helping our students transition into further education/training has been recognised by the Cornwall Council!

👏 Laura Morrison, who is part of the Council’s Career Development team, visited the school this week and praised staff for ensuring our pupils have the best experiences to prepare them for life after Penryn College.

🤝 Laura works closely with our students, staff and parents/carers, helping make sure all pupils are supported throughout the post-16 process. 😊

Sue’s Story: Supporting a Young Person to Thrive

Sue Mendham, a Careers Adviser from the Your Futures Team, has been working closely with a young person who faced several barriers to education and training. The young person, who attended a specialist school on the Devon/Cornwall border, struggled with learning and had started missing school more often.

Sue stepped in to offer careers advice and support. She helped the young person explore options for moving into mainstream education. Although a college placement was arranged, it quickly broke down due to the young person’s personal and social development (PSD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits.

Not giving up, Sue worked with the young person to find a better path. Together, they secured a work placement at a high-profile restaurant. In this fast-paced environment, the young person thrived. He was soon offered an apprenticeship.

Sue also supported the employer in finding a training provider that could meet the young person’s learning and support needs. Thanks to this teamwork, the young person has now completed the first year of his apprenticeship. He is on track to finish his Level 2 Commis Chef qualification in December 2025.

To help him succeed further, Sue advocated with Petroc College so he could access online maths and English lessons, which suited his learning style better than face-to-face classes.

The young person has now been offered ongoing employment and dreams of working in France to grow his culinary skills.

"Thank you so much for your help with getting my son the help and support he needs to complete his apprenticeship and go on to achieve his goals. We had so much to fight with in his life, especially with education. We very much appreciate your help.” - Parent

This is a great example of the amazing work Your Future Cornwall does to empower young people across the county. By offering tailored support and guidance, the team helps young people overcome challenges and build brighter futures.