THE drive, commitment and determination of students hoping for a career in the food production industry have been recognised at an awards ceremony.

The Nurturing Excellence Awards, now in its third year, is open to apprentices, businesses and those who completed an internship with renowned food and drink firms across the South West.

Mark Duddridge, chair (elect) for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP, was guest speaker for the event and spoke about the Nurturing Excellence project, the importance of the food industry to the local economy, and the significance of youngsters as the future workforce and developing their ambitions and work skills.

Nurturing Excellence co-ordinator at Duchy College Angie Shepherd said: “The awards give us the opportunity to celebrate the success of those taking part in the project.

“We currently offer placements to Year 12 students who complete an application form and are invited to an interview at the host company, which is great for increasing the employability of the young people involved.”

All the project supervisors within the businesses spoke positively about their interns, how they developed and the contributions they made during their stay.

Students on apprenticeship programmes and their employers were also acknowledged for their success: Dominic Roberts from Brian Etherington Meat Co received the Food Apprentice Award for positive commitment to personal development and the development of outstanding butchery skills, and Lynher Dairies received the Employer Award for ongoing commitment to apprenticeships.

The final presentations were to the Nurturing Excellence Food Ambassadors who are employed within the sector and inspire and spread the word about the variety of career opportunities available.

Angie Shepherd added: “The students have to produce a report at the end of their placement. Many of the businesses set the student a specific project to work on, often collecting data and information to determine a particular outcome or business improvement which they report back or present to management.”