A new £1m fund has been launched to create a flagship training and skills centre in St Ives. 

St Ives Town Deal Enterprise Grants scheme is seeking expressions of interest from organisations to establish a facility to provide high quality training, technology and digital skills opportunities in the town.  

The project will be funded through a new £1m Training and Skills Capital Fund, which is part of the St Ives Town Deal regeneration programme. 

The scheme will aim to improve facilities for delivering training and skills in St Ives through face-to-face and digitally delivered means, and increasing accessibility to digital technologies for both businesses and residents, the project will help to ensure that the town plays a full role in the fast-growing high-tech community in Cornwall and the wider region.  

The new centre will be expected to build on the work of Cornwall Council’s Digital Futures Programme and the Digital Skills Partnership Strategy. 

Improve access to digital technologies for young people and adults in the St Ives Town Deal area through improved access to training and skills development opportunities.  

Increase the number of young people and adults with relevant skills for employment and entrepreneurship and the the number of start-ups/scale-ups being helped with digital skills awareness and provision.

Ensure more local businesses have access to local people with appropriate training, qualifications and skills, including digital skills as well as help local businesses to grow and participate in the digital economy. 

The training and skills centre will also enable access to emerging creative digital technologies, including VR and rapid product prototyping and testing. 

The new centre could offer shared technical support for recording and filming and editing and managing web and other platforms, and provide training spaces, workspace and meeting / collaboration space for use by the local community and start-ups or micro businesses. 

Elizabeth Gilber, the Town Deal Enterprise grant co-ordinator, said: “We are inviting expressions of interest from organisations to deliver a major capital project to create a high quality, digitally enabled flagship centre for training, technology and digital skills within the St Ives Town Deal area. 

“Applicants will need to show how they will engage with skills providers and explain how their project will enable better training and skills access in St Ives and fuel growth in the digital / tech sector, making sure that every resident has access to the digital and data skills required in the modern world.” 

The Training and Skills Capital Fund will provide up to £1m towards the capital cost of providing the new centre, such as building works and equipment. Other costs, such as salaries, software and training provision must come from other sources.  

 The centre must be located within the St Ives Town Deal area. 

 Gareth Jones, the vice chair of St Ives Town Deal Board, said: “This is a very exciting project which is designed to help more local people acquire skills and secure higher paid jobs,” said. “It will also help existing local businesses to expand and diversify into new growth sectors, and support new start-ups in the fast growing digital economy.”  

 Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council cabinet member for economy, said: “Cornwall is at the forefront of digital innovation and skills development.   

“Cornwall’s digital sector has grown by 76 per cent since 2010, and we’re committed to help it grow and flourish even more. 

“This initiative will bring St Ives into the digital fold and ensure its residents and businesses benefit from this thriving industry and play their part in its future success.” 

The deadline for submitting expressions of interest is 9am on Monday, August 21. These will be reviewed by the St Ives Town Deal Board in September, with successful applications receiving invitations to submit full applications in early October.   

For more information about the project contact Town Deal Enterprise Grants Co-ordinator Elizabeth Gilbert at  [email protected]