Just HOW MANY people are unemployed in Cornwall?

What is the unemployment rate in Camborne?And in Cornwall?The question came up this week at our workshops at Torpoint Comunity College and none of us were quite sure of the answer, though we knew that levels were high. Bev Faull, community police officer in charge of the migrant worker beat, said at least 3,000 migrant workers had come into Cornwall since the start of January for seasonal work, mainly daffodils. 

Every day I drive past a farm where a local grower has to recruit hundreds (600)workers from eastern Europe to pick daffodils. He is just down the road from Camborne, where unemployment is high. But he cannot find local pickers to do the work. 

Some statistics from the Camborne Redruth Packet newspaper last Sunday - and the chilling suggestion of a 'lost generation' of young people: 

"Unemployment figures show that the amount of people out of work in Devon and Cornwall has risen sharply over the past year.The number of people out of work and claiming benefits show levels have reached a 16-year high with a record number of people working part-time. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, leading to fears of a lost generation of young people." Camborne Redruth Packet, 18 March 2012

Great piece in the Western Morning News

Excellent coverage of the exhibition at Cornwall College, Saltash, in the Western Morning News today.

Feedback from Saltash

Great feedback from Cornwall College, Saltash, where we have been running workshops all week. Pat Lloyd, head of Student Services, writes:

"... the exhibition and workshops have been very well received here this week. They have created quite a stir and have really highlighted the issues facing migrant workers and the fact that we are all migrants if we trace our origins back far enough....

A few of the comments from students:

‘ I now realise why migrant workers may leave their country for a better life. Also I realise now it’s not all unskilled migrants, you do have some with degrees who become doctors or lawyers. Very good presentation and it has changed my point of view.’

‘ It was very interesting and I didn’t know how hard it is for people to work in a foreign place and learn a new language. It was packed with information on things I didn’t know’

‘ It was very interesting and educational to hear about migrant workers’ ways of life It was also nice to talk to migrant workers and hear about their personal reasons for coming to the UK.’

‘ I enjoyed the talk because it has given me a different opinion on migrant workers and why they come to this country to work and that they don’t only come to this country to work, they also come to learn the language and get an education.’

Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to have the exhibition and workshops and for raising awareness of the issues behind migrant workers.

Picking up the exhibition from Saltash

The exhibition, just before we took it down...

Our poster, laminated for corridor use

A day on the road whizzes by with Mike Matthews. Up and down to Saltash to pick up the exhibition...

Looking at the mirror suitcase

A fabulous photo from a workshop at Cornwall College Saltash. The mirror suitcase in the I Packed This Myself exhibition begs a question: what would you take with you if you had to leave home to find work?
This student called her friends around the case and took a photo with her mobile phone.