Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
£19,264,500 of Building Better Opportunities funding will be invested in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The local Strategic Economic Plan (July 2014) highlights high and persistent levels of worklessness, pockets of severe deprivation and skill levels that are below the national average as being key issues hindering economic growth. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is a large rural county with a dispersed population and relatively poor transport links. Work by Experian identified that 26 per cent (59,000) of households in Cornwall are ‘at risk of poverty’. This places Cornwall in the worst 5 per cent of areas in the UK.
Needs assessment data indicates that there are particular clusters of
need which have been divided across four geographical areas: South and
East Cornwall; Atlantic and Moor; West Cornwall; and Coast to Coast.
Each of these areas will have a dedicated project providing employment
support, in addition to a LEP wide project specifically for young
people.
Game Changer
The Game Changer project helps young people aged 15 to 24 who are NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) or at risk of becoming NEET to progress into the labour market, through vocational skills activity. This project will address low academic performance and lack of engagement in higher education, and tackle the barriers that young people in the area encounter.
Atlantic and Moor Working Together
This project will target 750 economically inactive and unemployed adults from the Atlantic and Moor area of Cornwall, helping them into education, training, job seeking or employment. It will develop hubs in the deprived areas of Bodmin in the Kinsman Estate, Monument Way, Berryfields Estate, Berderska Court and Newquay Gannel in the Trenance Estate, but will also operate in smaller more rural towns of Bude including Stratton in the East, Tintagel and Launceston in the North East.
Who Dares Works (West of Cornwall)
Military veterans from Active Plus deliver courses that build confidence, motivation and the self-belief to take the next steps towards training and work. Alongside these courses, people can access range of specialist support to overcome specific barriers, and a host of work related activities from volunteering to community projects, taster days and work experience. Who Dares Works operates in the West of Cornwall, and will help 850 people who face the biggest barriers and challenges to connecting or reconnecting with education, training and work.
Positive People (South and East Cornwall, Coast to Coast)
A general employment support project, offering support in both in South and East Cornwall and the Coast to Coast area. The Positive People project helps participants manage tough times, get qualified and find work. Participants will receive help to identify their aspirations, master digital technology, search for jobs and access training. Advice is offered on apprenticeships, self-employment, benefits and financial matters. The project will also support participants with personal development, daily life and medical conditions. Continued advice and support is offered to participants who have found work. The project will run in both south and East Cornwall, and Coast to Coast.