Local Labour Market

Cornish Labour Market

• 91.6% of the working population in Cornwall holds a qualification
• Over 25% of those qualified are at a rate of NVQ level 4 or above
• 16% of the working population are skilled tradesmen
• The largest employment sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is the service sector (distribution, public administration, financial services and IT)
• Cornwall’s unemployment rate sits at 6.7% just under the rate for the rest of England (6.9%)
• The Gross Weekly Pay in Cornwall is £408.60, below the rest of England which is £491.00
• Small and medium sized firms compromise most of the companies located in Cornwall (60%) offering a wide range of specialised services
  

Major expansion in Higher Education

Cornwall's education sector has grown rapidly in recent years with the number of people studying in Cornwall likely to exceed 7,500 by 2011. One of the most significant developments came in 2004 when several highly respected educational institutions joined to form the new Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), centred on a state-of-the-art 'hub' campus at Tremough. As well as being able to draw on the skills of its graduates, many companies are already benefiting from the CUC's business incubation facilities