Cornwall's 200 apprenticeships - about bloody time!

Hidden away in the detail of the new higher education bursary scheme is an announcement from Cornwall Council that they plan to create 200 new apprenticeships and encourage others to create more. About bloody time!

Quite frankly, the council's record on apprenticeships is pretty embarrassing. When I asked about the number a few months ago I was told it was just 12. For one of the largest employers in Cornwall, that's just pathetic.

The 200 is very good news, but pales compared with the announcement made by Sheffield City Council today that it will be creating 4000 apprenticeships. If Sheffield (with an almost identical population) can, why can't Cornwall?

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Government dismisses rural crisis report

A Government commissioned report has found that young people are being forced from rural areas because of a shortage of jobs and homes.

The government's rural advocate Stuart Burgess said "deep concerns" over work, training, housing, transport and social exclusion existed across rural England. This will hardly come as news to people in North Cornwall where the average house price is more than 16 times average wages. But nevertheless, the report is a welcome summation of the problems we face.

What is decidedly less welcome is the Government's response:

A Downing Street spokesman said rural communities played "an important part in British life" and that ministers would look carefully at the points raised.

Yet again, a trite dismissal from the Government of our problems. They have been made aware of the problems rural areas face many times over many years - including in Matthew Taylor's excellent report on rural housing. But have they done anything about it? Nope.