Unlocking Talent: linking widening

participation, university growth and

regional development

Dr. Ian Tunbridge OBE

Executive Director, CUC

WHAT IS CUC?

CUC EXPLAINED

• An economic regeneration project based on HE as

the driver

• A partnership of HE and FE providers serving

Cornwall

• An innovative, regionally distributed model

WHAT IS CUC?

CORNWALL 2001

• No broadband coverage

• < 2,500 higher education places

• Young people leaving the county

• Foot & Mouth disease hits agriculture

• GDP 66.7% of EU average

Cornwall’s Brain Drain (1989 – 2000)

Net Migration 15-29 Age Group

THE CUC VISION

• To create a university infrastructure for Cornwall

• To stem the brain drain

• To help raise the game of business in Cornwall

• To bring well paid jobs

• To bring opportunities to people and businesses county wide

THE CUC PARTNERSHIP

Cornwall CollegeZoology Centre

Newquay

Cornwall College St. AustellTruro

College

CornwallCollege

CamborneDuchy College

Rosewarne

Penwith College

Tremough Campus

Cornwall College

Saltash

Duchy CollegeStoke Climsland

University College Falmouth – Woodlane Campus

Knowledge Spa

Falmouth Marine School

• 8 HE centres built on time & budget (£65 m)

• 2000 additional HE students• 71 Ph.D. and post-doctoral

posts filled• £7.7 million Research Fund

created - over £6 million allocated

• 147 graduates placed in Cornish companies

CUC PHASE 1

• Over 2,000 new jobs by 2025• Hub campus expansion • Rim – 8 centres around Cornwall• £52 million ‘levered’ development’ • £5.7 million graduate placement

and Postgraduate programmes• Further business support and R&D

CUC PHASE 2

CORNWALL 2008

• 100% broadband coverage

• 6000+ higher education students

• Young people coming into the county

• Agri-Food innovation centre

• GDP 75.8% of EU average

Net Migration 15-29 Age Group

CORNWALL’S BRAIN DRAIN REVERSED?

JOBS

• 640+ jobs created so far, mostly at graduate level

• c.530 people directly employed by CUC partners*

• 4000+ jobs will be created by 2025

• 220 Unlocking Cornish Potential graduate placements

*excludes further education staff at colleges.

HE IN CORNWALL

A PARTNERSHIP TO MEET NEEDS

• Research (Exeter, Medical School)

• Vocational HE (Plymouth, Falmouth)

• Local delivery and widening particpation (Cornwall and Truro Colleges)

EMERGING AREAS OF WORLD CLASS EXPERTISE• Biology: Ecology and Conservation

• Contaminated Land• Renewables: Bio Fuels, Wave / tidal• Materials Characterisation• Climate Change

• Digital TV and Film Production• 3D / 2D design

• Medical Humanities • Medical Ethics• Care of the elderly

• Adding value to primary and processed food production

Environmental andEarth Sciences

Creative

Health

Agri- Food

CUC Engaging with Wave HubMaximising Knowledge exchange locally and regionally:

Consortium of regional research Collaborations with Scotland and elsewhere

Contributing to economic development: Skills development Applied research Supply chain Use of Innovation Parks

Showcase resources / capabilities

HE IN FE IN CORNWALL• Most HE in FE students live within 20 miles of

their College• Many have previously taken a Level 3 FE

qualification at the College• 85% come from families where neither parent

has an HE qualification • 40 % of provision is part-time • Many courses have 50%+ mature students

• 220 graduates placed with employers since 2004

• 70%+ retained at the end of their placement

• Average starting salary £17,500+

• Average impact on turnover c.£250,000

UNLOCKING CORNISH POTENTIAL

“After my education it was my impression that it was difficult to find employment within Cornwall that would fully utilise the skills I had gained and allow them to grow”

“But, thanks to PTT and UCP, I am now at the forefront of a major software development project that is to be used by international business; while also gaining knowledge about the fast moving e-learning industry.”

• Graduate Recruited under UCP• R&D Funded by CUC Cornwall Research Fund• Expert mentor provided by University of Plymouth

UNLOCKING CORNISH POTENTIAL

WHAT IS CUC?

A NEW VISION

WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES’ AGENDAS• Europe – Lisbon Agenda, Convergence funding

• DIUS – HE to support employment• RDA – developing a high wage economy• County Economic Forum – transforming Cornwall’s fortunes• Business Link- business simplification• Learning Partnership – progression, best start for young

people• Aim Higher – raising aspirations• Lifelong Learning Network – progression and work based

learning

• HELPING CORNWALL PUNCH ABOVE ITS WEIGHT CUC will create centres of excellence in research and innovation which will give Cornwall international recognition for its areas of expertise.

• WORKING TOGETHER FOR CORNWALL CUC partners will work collaboratively to provide the people and businesses of Cornwall with a greater range of opportunities than any one institution could offer alone. 

• SUPPORTING BUSINESS CUC will use its expertise to help businesses to prosper in Cornwall. We will work with other agencies to achieve this goal wherever appropriate. 

• MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE PEOPLE CUC will support the development of vibrant communities across Cornwall by providing young people and those already in employment with greater opportunities to access and benefit from higher education.

WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT CUC

“A model that can be commended to other parts of the UK”Higher Education Funding Council of England (Sir Howard

Newby, Chief Executive, 2002)

“The Combined Universities in Cornwall project is vitally important for producing the seeds of sustainable success. It is

not a quick-fix solution but an investment in your collective future. It responds to the demand for a major higher

educational institution that will not only stem the 'brain drain' but will even attract talent and knowledge into the region

from outside, becoming an economic hub that will generate practical and commercial spin-offs as it grows and develops”

Danuta Hübner, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, June, 2006

WWW.CUC.AC.UK