Falmouth based Cornwall Marine Network reports that it has supported 3,000 people into employment since its foundation in 2005.

The not-for-profit Cornish marine trade organisation is celebrating reaching the milestone as its £1.86 million Cornwall Marine Capital Fund programme nears completion with beneficiary businesses creating 158 new jobs.

Paul Wickes, chief executive of CMN, said: "Since 2005 our specialist business support team has attracted more than £19 million of investment into Cornwall and as a direct result we’re very proud and delighted to announce that we have assisted 3,000 people into employment through our activities and job creation programmes.

"The added value to Cornwall’s economy that results from the 3,000 people gaining jobs has added more than £200 million of value to the local economy in eleven years and this figure grows by more than £30 million every year CMN exists."

Mark Duddridge, chair of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: "CMN is an excellent example of how business support should work. I would like to congratulate Paul Wickes and his team on this important milestone and to their overall contribution to supporting business growth and employment in the County."

The network secured its first investment in 2005 and recruited a team of four employees to support marine businesses with their marketing activity. Since then the team has grown to 28 specialist staff who provide a wide range of activities to support 351 local marine businesses.

The Cornwall Marine Capital Fund is an example of a CMN project that has led to new job creation. The £1.86 million investment from the government's Regional Growth Fund has provided financial support for investing in the Cornish marine sector. The recent purchase of Falmouth Wharves by marine contractor Keynvor Morlift was made possible by the Cornwall Marine Capital Fund and will create 39 new jobs. Other investments have included new machinery, lifting equipment, and improvements to slipways and buildings and the investments have drawn in a further £5.3 million of private marine sector investment.

A critical goal for CMN has been to address the skills gap in the marine sector. One important strategy has been to build bridges between education and industry. In the last two years, CMN’s Marine Academy has recruited 60 industry ambassadors to share career information with more than 12,000 local young people to inform career options. The Cornwall Apprenticeship Agency, a subsidiary company of CMN, has supported small and medium sized businesses in the marine industry and across other sectors with Apprenticeship recruitment with more than 1,150

apprenticeships created by the agency since 2013, initially supported by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

Additionally the CMN team has been working with unemployed people, coaching more than 800 into employment through its Work Skills support contracts.

Mr Wickes added: "Cornwall Marine Network has created a highly successful business-support model that is wholly focused on improving the economic prosperity of Cornish marine businesses and has the integrity of being owned by the very businesses we support. We employ a staff team with exceptional talents who work with member businesses to find solutions; making a real and positive difference. The new jobs are the proof the model wins."