The Council has been working to progress a range of activity relating to post-16 education and provision in recent weeks. Read on for an update on the progress being made and some exciting future plans.
One-off uplift to post-16 grant and meetings with local colleges
At the meeting of Full Council on 17 September 2024, Councillors resolved to offer a one-off uplift of £1,635 to the grant distributed to families of young people accessing post-16 education on the mainland. This uplift is for the 2024-25 academic year and will be funded from the Council’s reserves. You can read the reasons for this decision in the Full Council report.
Since this Full Council decision, we are pleased to have issued the uplift payment for parents of children in 16+ provision. Thank you to those parents who have given feedback on the immediate and positive difference this has made for them and their children.
On 2 October, it was delightful to see young people and their parents have time with Martin Tucker, Principal of Truro & Penwith College and Rory Mason, Head of Campus at Cornwall College and understand the offer from our most local colleges. Two of the colleges discussed, Duchy and Bicton Colleges offer boarding.
Anne Coyle, Interim Director for Children’s Services said: “So much learning was had by all, and we are excited to develop positive relationships that will be able to provide creatively for the islands’ young people and families. For example, did you know that the current annual cost of residential accommodation for 36 weeks (the college year), for seven days per week, with 15 meals a week at Duchy Stoke Climsland or Bicton College is £6,400?
Across both providers, the plethora of study is vast for young people – from academic study and vocational qualification. There is also the potential to develop on-island apprenticeships and flexible learning approaches to minimise concerns such as the impact of weather conditions. Improvements are also being made to pastoral support, with a named contact in the colleges for Isles of Scilly students. We will keep you informed about the progress we make as we move forward.”
Details of accommodation, bursaries and the wide-range of courses on offer through Truro & Penwith College and Cornwall Colleges (which include Duchy colleges, Bicton College, Falmouth Marine school, and campuses in Newquay, Camborne St Austell and Plymouth) can be found on the college websites linked above.
Colleges and Careers Convention and forthcoming Council apprenticeships
The following day, on 3 October, the Council was well represented at this year’s College and Careers Convention hosted by Five Islands Academy. The event was a fantastic learning experience for everyone and we are all excited to continue working together to find creative ways for our young people and families to access training, education and support.
The Council officers who attended the College and Careers Convention showcased the proposals which are being developed for apprenticeships at the Council, in line with our Corporate Plan objective to: “Support island-based businesses to offer apprenticeships and training programmes on the islands and lead by example in doing the same for our own workforce.”
You can read the current proposals for Council apprenticeships on our website. The apprenticeship application process and supporting documentation for parents and carers will be added to this page and widely promoted as soon as students’ views have been incorporated and the details have been finalised. The convention also provided the perfect opportunity to hear from students about areas of interest which they would like to see added to our apprenticeship offer in the future, such as engineering and physical education.
Staff members from a range of Council departments including Human Resources, Learning and Development, Park House, Environmental Health and the Environment Service spoke with students about their aspirations for the future and shared information about their own careers and the various routes into them. Former Five Islands Academy student Henry Dean, who took up his role in the Environment Service not long after graduating from Truro College, was also on hand to share his experience of applying for a role at the Council and let students know what his new role involves. His waste game proved to be particularly popular amongst the students and staff at the event.
Cllr Joel Williams, Lead Member for the Children, said: “I appreciate the efforts the Five Islands Academy has made to help ensure students have a broad range of knowledge and experiences. I’m sure these will be invaluable as they make choices about their future education and career paths, whether that’s on-island or further afield. Being able to recruit to roles from the resident population and ‘grow our own’ has long been an ambition of the Council and comes with obvious benefits, not just to the islands and the organisation itself, but also to those wishing to pursue a fulfilling career in a community they already care about and want to work for.”
Council officers Henry Dean and Ciaran Dean talking to students at the Five Islands Academy College and Careers Convention (photo credit to Rachel Lewin)