Truro and Penwith College has launched its new Industry Engagement Team — a service created to make it easier than ever for businesses across Cornwall to access the skills, training, and talent they need to grow.
The team’s mission is to work side by side with employers to close critical skills gaps and provide a single, reliable point of contact for all training and workforce development needs, from apprenticeships and adult learning to student work placements and commercial training.
Every employer will be connected with a dedicated Industry Engagement Consultant who will take the time to understand their organisation and provide impartial, expert advice. This bespoke approach is designed to save businesses valuable time — particularly small firms without HR or training departments — by removing the need to contact multiple parts of the College when seeking different types of training.
Hayley McKinstry, Director of Business and Partnerships at Truro and Penwith College, spoke about the initiative’s core mission. “Our vision is to build strong, lasting employer partnerships that will directly address the skills gap in our region,” she said. “We want to embed ourselves within the local business community, working side-by-side to understand their needs and provide the right training solutions to help them thrive.”
Employers working with the College will have access to more than 200 programmes, spanning professional qualifications, Skills Bootcamps, English, maths and ESOL, personal development, and a wide range of commercial training. As an accredited provider for respected organisations including AAT, CIPD, IMI, and the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), businesses can be confident that their staff development is in safe hands.
The College is proud of the recognition it has received nationally. In 2023, it was named Cornwall’s only DfE Expert Apprenticeship Provider and was awarded National Apprenticeship Provider of the Year in 2025. It is now one of the top three General Further Education Colleges in England, and the best-performing college in the South West for apprenticeship achievement.
This comprehensive approach ensures that employers can easily access the full spectrum of the college’s offerings, accelerating the growth and development of their organisations.
With the Industry Engagement Team, Truro and Penwith College is strengthening its role as a partner to the local business community — helping employers solve skills challenges today while building the workforce Cornwall needs for the future.
Meet the Team: www.truro-penwith.ac.uk/professional-development/employers/meet-the-team/
