A Falmouth-based apprenticeship agency is celebrating exceeding its target after creating more than 1,000 new apprenticeships within two years.

The opportunities were created by the specialist team at Cornwall Apprenticeship Agency’s head office on Falmouth Business Park after a significant Government contract was secured which focused particularly on helping small businesses to grow.

Its skills brokers actively engaged with 4,800 businesses nationally, approximately 3,000 of which were in Cornwall, and analysed their skills needs to help employers take the next step to growing their workforce. This bespoke service resulted in the recruitment of 1,021 apprentices across a wide range of sectors, 445 of whom were within Cornwall.

Steve Roberts, of the Cornwall Apprenticeship Agency (CAA), said: "This is a considerable achievement within two years. More and more employers, who may not have previously considered taking on an apprentice, are beginning to realise that the skills and financial benefits of an apprentice speak for themselves.”

The 1,000th apprentice, Billy Bamforth, working at Mermaid Pleasure Trips of Penzance said: “Becoming an apprentice has been a great move for me, I get to learn and earn at the same time. I didn’t want to stay in mainstream education as I felt I would gain more valuable life skills and hands on training through an apprenticeship.”

The CAA works with small and medium sized businesses to help them grow their workforce with apprentices. Its services reduce the risk associated with taking on an apprentice, a valued solution to employers who are hesitant to embark on apprenticeship programmes.

The agency secured the £818,000 contract from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills in 2013, with the aim of boosting apprenticeship opportunities as well as helping employers to invest in the skills of their staff. A recent survey of all those businesses engaged with, revealed that a total of £3.6m was invested in training by employers following the expert guidance provided by the CAA’s skills brokers.