The opportunity for Cornwall’s critical minerals sector to bring skilled jobs to the region is back in the spotlight this week. BBC’s The One Show featured GEL and Truro and Penwith College students following the launch earlier this year of a new Laboratory Technician apprenticeship which aims to help address skills gaps in the minerals extraction sector.
The resurgence of Cornwall’s critical minerals sector is expected to be a significant contributor to the UK’s ambitions to secure domestic supplies of essential materials. Cornwall has one of the largest lithium deposits in Europe with the UK’s Vision 2035 Critical Mineral Strategy calling for 50,000 tonnes of lithium to be produced domestically by 2035.
In addition to the geo-resources sector’s contribution to national security, it is expected to play a key role in supporting local economic growth, with the opportunity to provide skilled jobs across a number of roles as well as benefits to the supply chain.
GEL completed two UK firsts earlier this year as it switched on the UK’s first geothermal power plant producing electricity from geothermal resources, co-located with the extraction of lithium from the geothermal brines. GEL is Cornwall’s frontrunner in lithium extraction, already extracting up to 100 tonnes per annum (tpa) and scaling to over 18,000 tpa over the next decade.
Tony Wilson, COO for GEL says: “We’ve always seen education and skills as an important part of our programme and since 2018 our team has visited and hosted site visits for more than 200 education providers and engaged with over 12,000 students. “As an operational site, we have the ability to tangibly show young people the jobs that already exist and where we’re going to need skills in the future – we want to show young people that it’s possible to stay in Cornwall to study and have a great job, while playing a role in a really important and exciting sector.”
As Cornwall’s critical mineral sector prepares to increase its production, education providers such as Truro and Penwith College are creating opportunities for young people to acquire the necessary skills. The college’s Laboratory Technician apprenticeship, which launches in September 2026, trains young people on high-quality testing and analysis while conforming to regulatory requirements and technical competence in the use of specialist instruments and equipment. Beyond critical minerals, the apprenticeship also prepares young people for roles across health, life sciences and engineering.
Hayley McKinstry, Truro and Penwith College Director of Business, Partnerships and Apprenticeships said: “This is an exciting moment for Cornwall. The development of geothermal energy and the wider critical minerals sector presents a significant opportunity for the region, and it’s vital that we are developing the skills needed to support that growth. Our new Lab Technician apprenticeship has been designed specifically to help build that talent pipeline, equipping learners with the technical skills and knowledge required for the minerals sector. “Through partnerships with organisations like GEL, we are able to connect that learning directly to industry. Opportunities such as visits to United Downs bring the curriculum to life and give our learners a clear sense of the careers available to them, right here in Cornwall.”
The One Show captured Truro and Penwith College students on a trip to GEL’s United Downs Geothermal power plant and pilot direct lithium extraction (DLE) plant. The visit aimed to provide the students with the chance to see, first-hand, the different roles on site, from power plant operators to geologists and process scientists, with a tour of the power plant and a lithium extraction demonstration to showcase the technologies being deployed.
Watch here: The One Show – 13/04/2026 – BBC iPlayer
