EDUCATION TRAINING NEWS

BACK TO THEIR ROOTS

Falmouth University teamed up with children’s

Manufacturing and engineering skills in Cornwall are getting a boost with the formation of a pre-16 manufacturing academy.

The Cornwall Manufacturers Group (CMG) has partnered with the Cornwall College Group (TCCG) to address the skills gap in the sector, resulting in The CMG Academy.

CMG chief executive, Jon Hurrell, said: “Currently, we have got a huge skills gap – hundreds of jobs available in manufacturing and we just can’t fill them. ethical clothing company Frugi to host a photo shoot for its Back-to-School outerwear range in the Autumn/Winter ‘22 collection.

About half of Frugi’s current creative team consists of Falmouth University photography alumni who returned to their roots for Frugi’s Autumn campaign.

The Helston-based company based its entire shoot at Falmouth’s Fox Gardens – a location renowned for its tropical plants, lush gardens, and whimsical pathways.

Falmouth University BA Fashion Photography students Sinead Flanagan and Gee Frye were invited to assist on the shoot to experience a commercial shoot environment through Falmouth lecturer and mentor Jonathan Simms, a tutor for one of Frugi’s photography team.

CMG ACADEMY FORMED

“So, to solve that problem in the long term we have partnered with Cornwall College to try to get the younger people involved in manufacturing as earliest as possible so that they can get inspired, get involved with manufacturing and then become a manufacturer of the future.”

The CMG Academy will help pupils from local schools to develop their skills in manufacturing and engineering, resulting in them gaining a Level 2 Diploma in Manufacturing & Engineering.

Student entrepreneur Ben Penrose has already launched one successful clothing business and now his new spin off company Zen Beach is switching its production and manufacturing to Cornwall. Following the successful launch of Vintage Religion – an online sustainable clothing re-sale company – the Falmouth University student has launched another venture which is set to switch its entire production process to Cornwall after previously importing from China. After successfully securing an initial £2k investment in 2021 to help accelerate his

MADE IN CORNWALL business Vintage Religion, with the help of fellow Falmouth University student creatives Penrose was able to establish robe challenger company Zen Beach. From Hampshire originally, the final year Business and Entrepreneurship student designed the simple fleece and towel-lined robes to appeal to surfers and swimmers who wanted to warm up after cold water activity but without breaking the bank. The decision to switch production closer to home came to head last year, when the Suez Canal was blocked for six days following the grounding of a giant container ship, which saw Penrose’s shipping costs soar from £400 to over £3k within just four weeks.

APPRENTICESHIP AWARDS

Truro & Penwith College has opened nominations for the 2022 Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards.

Sixteen categories are now up for grabs, with nominations being accepted on the college’s website. Any Cornwall-based apprentice or employer is eligible for nomination, regardless of their college or training provider, provided they have been involved in apprenticeship training since June 21 of last year.

College principal Martin Tucker said: “Apprenticeships are a key part of Cornwall’s economic strategy to deliver a high-quality workforce and career opportunities. 2022 is an exciting time for apprenticeships at the college with recent multi-million-pound infrastructure investments aiding curriculum development and boosting future skills.

“For apprenticeships to deliver economically they need to be of the highest quality. The Awards present a perfect opportunity to recognise that quality and we look forward to celebrating county-wide success on 18 November.”

Nominations close on August 1. www.truro-penwith.ac.uk/caa

It was a night to celebrate for a teacher in Truro as he took home a prize at the Tes Schools Awards, one of the biggest nights in the UK education calendar which was held last month.

Jon Dean from Truro High School for Girls received the Subject Lead of the Year (Secondary) award, at a special ceremony held in London. Jon Dean has transformed a traditional science department into a highly successful STEM faculty with STEM teaching embedded for all pupils, from 4 to 18 years old.

He said: “This is my 40th year of teaching. This award means a lot to me and the pupils I teach. My advice to other teachers is to be as inspiring as you can be.”