Bright Future for Cornwall's Graduates

Cornwall's graduates have cause for optimism, despite national headlines about the tough graduate employment market resulting from the economic downturn. Thanks to a recent injection of European funding, Combined Universities in Cornwall's Unlocking Cornish Potential (UCP) graduate placement scheme has plans to help 450 kick start their careers in the county by 2011.

"We know that a lot of the big graduate recruiters nationally are cutting back, but at the same time a lot of smaller companies locally are looking to recruit highly skilled graduates with the creativity and expertise to help them prosper in these challenging times, " said Allyson Glover, UCP's Head of Graduate Placements.

UCP places graduates with businesses for up to 12 months to work on a specific project which will help the business to move to the next level. During the placement the graduate receives a minimum salary of £16,000, part of which is supported by the European Social Fund. To date some 70% of UCP graduates have been offered a permanent job at the end of their placements.

Graduate Graham Donaldson is one of the many who have benefitted from the scheme and now works for TRAC Services in Camborne. Speaking at the Hub Awards 2008 he explained, "I wouldn't be here without UCP; the programme gave me the opportunity to start my career in Cornwall and grow both within my company and the business community."

With its previous Objective One investment, UCP placed more than 240 graduates with 150 companies in Cornwall between 2004 and 2008. In June 2008 UCP secured £4.25m through the Convergence programme to enable it to continue and expand its work. UCP is managed by Cornwall College.

More information is available at www.unlockingcornishpotential.co.uk