IT HAS never been more important to be well-qualified at work. The business environment is as tough as it has ever been, and shows no sign of getting easier.

Companies are increasingly having to ask more of their employees – and those looking for work need as many skills and as much good training on their CVs as possible.

The West Briton has decided to join forces with Cornwall College Business over the coming weeks and months to unleash Cornish talent.

We want 100 small businesses to get involved with apprenticeships for their employees.

They can be for new or existing employees, and for people of all ages. Apprenticeships are no longer something for 16-year-old school leavers.

Many Cornish businesses already embrace apprenticeships as a crucial part of their staff development.

Jamie Oliver's Fifteen in Watergate Bay is famously founded upon the principle of training all its staff from scratch, and has had great success combining training from Cornwall College Business with workplace learning.

Pall Corporation uses apprenticeship programmes to develop specific engineering skills to meet their business needs, while 50 per cent of Blue Flame Cornwall's managers are former apprentices.

Apprenticeship training is a cost-effective way to "upskill" your business.

But apprenticeships are not just open to big companies with plenty of time to devote to training and administration.

They are also a good solution for small businesses – and incentives are available from the Government.

Over the next few weeks the West Briton and Cornwall College Business will showcase Cornish success stories, running recruitment events and celebrating the businesses that join the campaign.