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Worklessness, Poverty and Deprivation Indices of Deprivation Launceston appears on the 2004 Index of Multiple Deprivation as the third most deprived ward in North Cornwall and appears in the top 11% of the most deprived wards in Cornwall. With almost a third of adults claiming benefits (almost double the national average) and 43% with no qualifications, there is a clear need to address the issue of preparedness for work and matching education opportunities to potential learners if they are to contribute to the social and economic fabric of society. Within North Cornwall, Launceston North East Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) ranks third most deprived LSOA in the District. Most concerning is that this LSOA ranks as the most deprived ward in North Cornwall (ninth of the 327 Cornwall LSOA) for education, skills and training. Launceston South East also appears in the District’s top ten. Both Launceston South East and Launceston Central appear in the ten most income deprived LSOAs district wide. Sustainable Community Strategy In the Cornwall Sustainable Community Strategy, a key strategic issue identified has been worklessness and developing skills for a knowledge-based society. The aim derived from this being to develop an inclusive, employable, skilled workforce creating economic opportunity for all. It is noted that “Of businesses in Cornwall reporting difficulties filling skilled positions, the largest skills gaps are in manufacturing (19%), tourism (16%) and retail (11%).” The proposed development of the refurbishment former boarding house, being to develop the skills level in the tourism and retail sectors, particularly working with Combined University of Cornwall and Cornwall College with regard to Level 3 and Level 4 courses, would be addressing this aim. The Strategy identifies claimants on incapability benefits as a specific group experiencing difficulty re-entering the labour market. Having a local training facility to ensure such persons are appropriately trained to enter local positions. Extended travelling periods would be a barrier to such persons and so local provision supports this aim. Geographical Concentrations The European Social Fund Cornwall Works Plus specification identified two North Cornwall towns, Bodmin and Launceston, as two of only five key towns across Cornwall with high concentrations of worklessness. Poverty and Deprivation A key action identified by the Cornwall Community Strategy is to break the cycle of poverty and deprivation in Cornwall. It is noted that “Cornwall has a long history of disadvantage arising from its geographical peripherality, and specifically, the decline in traditional industries. In Cornwall as a whole, the 2000 IMD shows that in 80% of Cornish wards, one fifth of the population is ‘multiply deprived’ and in more than a fifth of the wards, over a third of the population experiences multiple deprivation.” When modelled against Egan’s Wheel, worklessness and low incomes, combined with the rising fuel prices (contributing to the fuel poverty trap) and material deprivation are key contributing factors to poverty. The economic situation in Cornwall directly influences levels of poverty in the population, through worklessness, low wages and the seasonal nature of much of the available low skilled employment. Barriers to employment, education and training such as childcare and transport are even greater for those living in poverty. Being inactive can also lead to a lowering in confidence and self esteem and a reduction in community involvement. These persistent and increasing barriers contribute to maintaining the cycle of deprivation and have contributed to intergenerational poverty and deprivation. In providing a locally accessible training facility, the introduction of vulnerable groups to vocationally specific training and the opportunity to develop basic skills in literacy, numeracy and information technology, will capture the ‘forgotten age’ of adults who completed formal education without achieving the standards expected in 2008. Such a facility will clearly offer a wide range of opportunities for young people who are not in education, employment or training and those who may currently travel significant distances to access further education provision (at Cornwall College sites in Saltash and St Austell and to City College Plymouth, all in excess of a two-hour return journey by poor public transport infrastructure). If poverty is defined as ‘a life of unequal choices’ then people who are born into poverty are likely to suffer poorer physical and mental health throughout their lives, achieve lower standards of educational attainment and have a poorer chance of employment or a lower level of skilled employment. Their children will be born into a similarly deprived situation. This cycle of deprivation is well documented. It is also important to consider people who suffer from material and social deprivation are likely to be discriminated against, receiving poorer quality service and reduced life opportunities and expectancy. This project seeks to break that cycle by introducing skills training, self-employment prospects, entrepreneurship and developing supervision and management skills. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||