George Eustice, MP for Camborne, Redruth & Hayle, joined apprentices working at Lynher Dairies Cheese Company in Ponsanooth as part of National Apprenticeship Week. The event, organised by Cornwall College, saw George taken through the production process from start to finish by Chris Clements, one of three apprentices working at Lynher Dairies who is specialising in engineering. The business is famous for its Cornish Yarg cheese which has been an incredible success and the dairy is also about to launch a new mature cheese called Kern, which has already won national awards.
National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from 9th to 13th March 2015, celebrates not only the work that apprentices do, but also the positive impact they have on businesses, individuals and the wider economy. Since 2010, the Government has created 3330 new apprenticeships in Camborne & Redruth and new research commissioned by the Cornwall Apprenticeships campaign, suggests apprentices in Cornwall enjoy above average wage levels and regular salary increases as they progress through their Apprenticeship, with 96% staying in work when their Apprenticeship is complete.
George Eustice said, "Lynher Dairies is a great local success story and it was great so see their operation and sample some of their famous award winning cheeses. However, all food business have specialist equipment and require talented engineers to maintain it. Apprenticeships are a great way of helping support young people into work and have helped thousands of young people in the Camborne and Redruth area in recent years. It is right to highlight their role in developing skills through National Apprenticeship Week."