European Social Fund \ News \ Cornwall Works WISE Awards 2012

Cornwall Works WISE Awards 2012

The fifth Cornwall Works WISE Awards took place on Wednesday 9 May at the Headland Hotel, Newquay. The awards are an annual celebration recognising excellence in employment and skills activity, and highlight the important role that the European Social Fund (at present through the ESF Convergence Programme), is playing in employment, skills and training and innovation across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. This year the awards were held on Europe Day, emphasising the important role of European investment across the European Union

This year’s Cornwall Works WISE Awards winners include a former Special Forces combat veteran, a Camborne drop in centre, Fifteen Cornwall’s training and assessment chef and a project that has had a carbon literacy training scheme adopted by national government. An Outstanding Achievement Award was also given to Carleen Kelemen, the Director of the outgoing Convergence Partnership Office. Carleen also hosted the event, and other keynote event speakers were Angus Gray, Head of the Department for Work and Pensions ESF Division and Chris Pomfret, chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership.

Mr Gray said, “Today we have seen the true impact of ESF Convergence on the lives of people. There is a lot to learn from Cornwall’s experience for the future (2014-2020 ESF) Programme.”

Mr Pomfret said, “If you don’t celebrate success, and to some extent celebrate failure if it was well done, you will not get transformational change. And we need transformational change in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. So it is an absolute delight to be part of something that is celebrating success.”

Carleen Kelemen said, “Congratulations to all. These awards have again served to highlight that ESF Convergence is continuing to play a key role in increasing the opportunities available for getting into work and progressing once in work.”

Cornwall Works WISE Awards 2012 winners:

Welfare to Work - Individual Award:

Jon (full identity withheld) is an ex Special Forces serviceman who has suffered unemployment, marriage breakdown and depression due to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Through his participation in the Active Plus project that supports combat veterans to train unemployed people aged 50+, Jon has had the opportunity to share his knowledge and experience of interview techniques and body language and help several participants of Active Plus to find employment.

Welfare to Work - Organisation / Project Award:

DISC (Drop In and Share Centre) in Camborne is a charity that offers support to vulnerable adults – including the homeless, people with addictions, ex-offenders, migrant workers, and people with learning difficulties. DISC offers in-house support into college and paid employment. Recent successes have seen four people taking college courses, and three have gained employment with others looking for work placements with the Heartlands project, and very recently another member joining the RAF.

Innovation - Individual Award:

Shilpa Jain is a participant in the Unlocking Cornish Potential programme, which is supported by ESF Convergence and places graduates with businesses in Cornwall. During her placement with TRAC Ltd, Shilpa was tasked with creating a bespoke in-house technical induction package that would help educate and support new employees in the first six months in the very specialist and technical medical regulatory affairs market. This has modernised and developed the company’s original training programme.

Innovation - Project / group / organisation Award:

Clear About Carbon produce e-learning courses for businesses and government, including modules on climate change, carbon accounting, product footprinting, renewable and low carbon energy sources, and low carbon procurement. National Government departments working with Clear About Carbon include Defra and the Department of Health and the National Health Service. Clear About Carbon is taking its carbon literacy message into procurement both in the heart of business and the heart of Government.

Skills - Project / Group / Organisation Award:

Devon and Cornwall Training Provider Network brings together a range of localised partnerships to form a highly effective organisation that represents a broad membership of work related training providers across the private, public and voluntary and community sectors. The organisation recently produced a top quality toolkit of resources about apprenticeships and has been a true supporter of Jobcentre Plus in helping them to take on their new responsibilities within the skills agenda.

Skills - Individual Award:

Karl Jones is the Training and Assessment Chef of Fifteen Cornwall and has played a key role in making this highly successful chefs’ apprentice programme tick. Karl works with each individual to maintain positivity in helping the apprentices become ready for jobs, and his award recognises his dedication, supportiveness and professionalism.

Employers - Welfare to Work Award:

Kernow Mill is a company that has supported a wide range of jobseekers, including people with disabilities, those over 50, and lone parents, into work. Feedback from Jobcentre Plus shows them to be an employer that goes the extra step to help their customers into work. Kernow Mill also organises farmers’ markets providing facilities for those working towards self-employment.

Employers - Skills Award:

Cornwall Airport Ltd has won for its outstanding commitment to training and upskilling its workforce. This includes engaging a partnership group to consider the development of an Aviation Academy based at the Airport.  Through this group, Cornwall was able to offer the first Advanced Apprenticeship in Aviation Engineering, run in partnership with Lufthansa Resource Technical Training and funded with investment from ESF Convergence through the Skills Funding Agency.  A group of young Cornish apprentices are now enjoying their on-the-job training at locations from Cornwall to Switzerland and many points in-between.

Outstanding Achievement Award.

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Convergence Partnership Office for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, won the Outstanding Achievement.

Carleen came to Cornwall as Director of the Objective One Partnership Office for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in 2000. She remained when Convergence succeeded Objective One in 2007 and will be finishing in June 2012 following a change in communication structures.

Richard Bayly, formerly of Government Office South West presented the Award to Ms Kelemen, praising her work as an advocate and champion for Cornwall’s achievements.

Blair Thomson Partnership Award

Jayne Cotterill, External Funding Manager for Cornwall Council received this award. Carleen Kelemen said of Jayne, “This individual really understands what partnership is all about and has used her skills and knowledge over the last 20 years to bring millions of pounds of EU structural fund investment into Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to tackle challenges from bullying to worklessness, from child poverty to support for the over 50s.