15.04.04
£2.6 million scheme to combat Cornwall's brain drain unveiled

The Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) has announced the launch of Unlocking Cornish Potential (UCP), a new project to give talented recent graduates opportunities to pursue fulfilling careers west of the Tamar. The scheme also seeks to boost business by applying graduates' skills and fresh perspectives to the challenges faced by small and medium sized companies.

The UCP team works with businesses to identify development projects which could make a significant difference to their future success, but which they do not currently have the time or resources to pursue. These projects form the basis of graduate positions within the companies. UCP then carefully matches the skills and aspirations of graduates to the post and puts forward a selection of candidates for interview. Thanks to Objective One investment the company receives 30% of the cost of taking on the graduate for the duration of the project (typically between 6 and 15 months) and both employer and employee benefit from the support and advice of an independent mentor from the academic or business community. The project is managed by Cornwall College (one of the partners in the CUC initiative).

This new UCP scheme builds on the successful 5-year Unlocking Potential programme run by University of Plymouth Enterprise throughout Cornwall and Devon until November 2002. No fewer than 70% of the companies that took part in the scheme last time around went on to offer their graduate a permanent job.

Combined Universities in Cornwall Co-ordinator, Gordon Kelly commented: "Many of Cornwall's students go on to become graduates, but most leave to pursue their careers elsewhere, so the local economy never sees the benefit of their expertise. The Unlocking Cornish Potential scheme will help to stop this brain drain by providing graduates with rewarding opportunities to work in businesses across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Judging by the success of similar schemes, we can also expect to see some of the people who take up UCP posts going on to set up their own enterprises in the area."

Chief Executive Officer for Cornwall College, Dr Alan Stanhope said: "Unlocking Cornish Potential is a highly successful, tried and tested programme which will provide nearly 100 graduate level jobs in Cornwall, whilst facilitating important business development projects in local companies, it's great that we can be part of this."

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Objective One Partnership said: "The CUC aims to capture and build on Cornwall's intellectual capital by fostering closer links between higher education and the private sector. Unlocking Cornish Potential is a perfect example of that ethos in practice and underlines the commitment of the Objective One Programme to invest in projects that create long-term benefits for the local economy."

Unlocking Cornish Potential is now open for business and companies or graduates wishing to find out more about the project can visit the website at www.unlockingcornishpotential.co.uk or contact the team on 01209 617664.

Editor's notes:

For more information please contact: Kerry Wastell, Marketing Executive, 01209 616101.

Sue Wolstenholme
Objective One Communications
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mob: 07973 813647
Tel: 01579 370991

lmroberts@cornwall.gov.uk

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