A new careers strategy for youngsters in Cornwall was published in December in a bid to improve the county’s standing as the worst place in Britain for linking schools with local businesses.

The ranking was given by the Careers and Enterprise Company.

Cornwall Council says while there is much excellent practice, the ’congested and confusing landscape’ means there is a lack of a consistent careers offer for all young people in Cornwall. There is also no clear strategy for co-ordinating existing and future investment into activity.

Andrew Wallis, the Council’s lead member for children and young people, said the newly-published careers offer ’plays a critical role in securing sustainable economic progress that addresses social inequality, makes responsible use of Cornwall’s natural and cultural assets, and builds upon strengths in key industries: renewables, aerospace technology and micro enterprise’.

He continued: ’More vocational options are on offer and research suggests that today’s young people will have roughly six careers and 17 jobs over their lifetime.  Through the Careers Offer we want to inspire young people by providing them with experiences that connect learning to future work possibilities.  We want to prepare young people with the expected level of work place knowledge and skills required by employers so they can thrive in their future careers. Partnership working is an underpinning principle of the Careers Offer to: build on existing excellent practice; drive improvement, innovation and efficiency and to ensure the interests of young people is always first.’

Information on the Cornwall Careers Offer is available on the Council’s website: www.cornwall.gov.uk/careersoffer