Gateway pilot success

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The latest UCP programme designed to support Cornish business and improve graduate opportunities is drawing its pilot scheme to a close this week. Gateway has provided nine graduates with a ten week work experience programme designed to boost their CVs whilst offering Cornish SME’s an “extra pair of hands” to stimulate economic growth.

The pilot has been so successful for both businesses and graduates that another programme will run in September.

Gateway provides an opportunity for selected graduates to develop their employability skills and employment prospects over a ten week course. UCP is a Combined Universities in Cornwall partnership project, managed by Cornwall College and part funded by the European Social Fund and has placed around 800 graduates into hundreds of businesses over the last 10 years.

Jamm Product owner Marc Ward had this to say on his experience with using one of the gateway graduated for a project:

“As a new company we need access to fresh talent and new ideas, Gateway offers us a pool of inspiring graduates that can give us a boost as and when we need it.”

Two Gateway graduates have already secured full time graduate-level roles after the programme. Rebecca Bradbury starts as Campaign Manager for Digital Marketing Agency, Jarrang. Meanwhile, Paul Eddleston is the new Marketing Coordinator at Garador, an SME based in Yeovil.

UCP’s Debbie Horner is managing the project and is urging any businesses who think they could do with some graduate support to get in touch, ahead of the next Gateway programme due to commence on 10th September 2012.