New short film highlights sector success in Cornwall

A new short film from Enginuity explores the importance of community and collaboration for Cornwall’s local businesses.

Hot on the heels of the Steph on Skills: Powered by Enginuity interview with Eric Nicholls, Chair of the Cornwall Manufacturers Group, the new film features interviews with local business leaders who see more to the county.

Cornwall is known to many for its coastal and culinary heritage, but for the SMEs powering the present-day local engineering and manufacturing sector, the numbers don’t lie:

There are more than 1,300 manufacturers employing 16,000 people, generating just shy of £1bn each year.

And according to our new interview with Eric, which you can watch below, the secret of the county’s success is down to collaboration, and the “like-minded people” working together, displaying incredible resilience in a wider economy where so much uncertainty can have devastating effects.

The video follows on from a recent visit by Enginuity CEO Ann Watson to Cornwall, who met with representatives at Cornish companies to hear about their contributions to the skills discussion.

Among the talking points in the video:

• Carrie Childs is Careers Hub Lead for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly. She discusses how a recent report emphasised the sense of community as a key strength for the area in the face of other logistical difficulties.
• Tom Teagle, Sales Director at Teagle Machinery Ltd is a strong supporter of apprenticeships and demonstrates how investing in their apprentices can translate to a long and fulfilling career for both employer and apprentice.
• Harry Young-Jamieson, CEO at St Eval is focused on the long-term, sustainable success of his company – and getting young people ready for their careers.

Ann also speaks on the video to how she was “struck by the sense of community” and the “ethos of partnership, everybody working together” to achieve such dazzling sector solutions.

Watch the video below and keep an eye out for more on how we’re helping employers make a difference on a local level.

Watch the video

About Vocational Celebration Day 2026

Enginuity and EAL will be hosting a live programme to celebrate Vocational Celebration Day, based in Cornwall, but embracing the whole of the UK, presented by broadcaster, podcaster, and best-selling author Steph McGovern.