Truro and Penwith College’s Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards has out grown its traditional venue and will establish new roots at the Eden Project.

Along with the change of venue the college has taken the opportunity to move the event to National Apprenticeship Week, with the date of the eighth annual awards set for Friday, February 9, 2024. 

Pirate FM presenters and Truro and Penwith College alumni Holly Day and Neil Caddy have again been confirmed as the hosts of the 2024 Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards as Pirate FM continues its long-established support of the event. 

The awards is again attracting support from the local and national business communities, with organisations already showing interest and agreeing sponsorships. 

The inaugural event took place in 2015, quickly establishing itself as one of the top events in the South West Business calendar and continuing annually bar a brief hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the covid-19 pandemic. 

Selling out in every single year, attracting hundreds of nominations annually and a vast array of sponsors and supporters from local and national organisations, has led the college to confirm it will continue running future events at an external venue, allowing it to enter its ‘next stage of growth’. 

Martin Tucker, principal at Truro and Penwith College said: “The college is incredibly proud of the Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards and the high regard in which it is held by employers and learners across the county. 

“It’s been a pleasure to host the event at our Truro campus, but it’s clear it has outgrown our space. I’m pleased the event has found a fantastic new home with the Eden Project, a former Cornwall Apprenticeship Award winner and one of Cornwall’s top Apprenticeship employers. The move marks the event entering its next stage of growth and we’re excited to see what the future brings. 

“We look forward to a very enjoyable evening celebrating all the talent that exists across the Apprenticeship provision in the county.”  

Nominations for the 2024 Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards are expected to open in summer 2023 and will again be open to any learner or employer involved in apprenticeship training in Cornwall, regardless of their learning provider. 

Neil Caddy, Breakfast Show presenter and head of content at Pirate FM, said: “The move is very exciting, this will be the eighth time that Holly and I have been involved and it’s been lovely to see the event get bigger and better each year.” 

Dawn George, chief culture and people officer at Eden Project added: “We already have an excellent and long-term relationship with Truro and Penwith College who support many of the Apprenticeships we offer at Eden. 

“We are a firm believer in Apprenticeships and the power these bring for both organisations and those completing the programmes. As a previous winner in a number of categories, these are highly regarded awards and we are proud to be the new venue.”