The College of West Anglia (CWA) welcomed business employers, apprentices and community leaders to a business breakfast at its newly built Green Skills Academy in Wisbech. This event brought together organisations and apprentices to inform the local skills improvement plan and address the ongoing skills gap in Fenland.
The event featured a keynote speaker, Mark Thurston, CEO of Anglian Water, and was hosted in partnership with the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce and Support Fenland. It created a platform for discussion and for the region's future workforce.
During a conversation with Charlotte Horobin, Chief Executive of the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce, Mark Thurston reflected on his own career journey through the apprenticeship pathway. He spoke about his development and how apprenticeships provided the foundation for his own career progression. The discussion opened to audience questions, where delegates emphasised the importance of case studies and success stories to personalise opportunities, helping employers and future apprentices better understand the real impact of vocational routes.
The Green Skills Academy, a cutting-edge facility, represents a combined investment of £4.2 million funded through the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Anglian Water Alliances and the College of West Anglia. The Academy was specifically designed to deliver specialist training in sustainability, environmental technology and green-focused trade skills; sectors identified as critical for Fenland’s economic growth and future employment opportunities.
Legacy was another theme Mark Thurston touched on, emphasising the importance of businesses being ready to engage in skills development and support the next generation of talent. He emphasised how collaboration between employers and training providers helps ensure long term opportunity and resilience within local community.
The morning’s programme included insights from Mark Thurston on future infrastructure and sustainability challenges, as well as discussions with an interactive apprentice panel hosted by Nel Woolcott, one of the Board Directors for the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce. Apprentices, Tegan Smith, Lacey Field, Reuben Doy and Alfie Ursell, shared their perspectives from industries including welding, construction and engineering.
Panel discussions explored why they chose apprenticeships, the reality of balancing work and learning, and the value apprentices bring to employers. The apprentices spoke candidly about the benefits that both they and the employers had gained through their apprenticeships. But also went on to encourage more employers to consider offering apprenticeship opportunities to invest directly in their future workforce.
The event concluded with networking opportunities designed to strengthen partnerships between organisation and foster collaboration across sectors.
Mark Thurston, Chief Executive of Anglian Water, said, “I was delighted to support the event at the College of West Anglia. We've invested £2 million, alongside our alliance partners, to support the new Green Skills Academy. Water is critical to enabling economic growth, so the Green Skills Academy is one crucial way that we’re investing in these skills now, to provide a pathway for local people to get involved in really important work that will benefit our region’s environment for years to come."
From the College of West Anglia, Sarah Anstiss, Head of Apprenticeships and Workbased Learning said, “Today’s reflections on apprenticeships clearly demonstrated how essential they are to addressing local skills needs, especially here in Fenland. Hearing apprentices speak so confidently about their early career journeys shows the powerful impact that high‑quality training and employer support can have. Apprenticeships also play a vital role in reducing the high number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), by creating accessible pathways into sustained, meaningful work, filling industry skills gaps.
The talent and determination we’ve seen today underline the value that apprentices bring to employers of all sizes. Their passion and professionalism give us real confidence in the strength of Fenland’s future workforce.”
Kenny Brown, Communications Lead from Support Fenland added, “We’re proud to support this event alongside the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce and the College of West Anglia. Strong partnerships between business, education and the community are essential if we’re going to tackle local skills challenges and support Fenland’s future workforce. Events like this create space for honest conversation, shared learning and practical thinking about what employers and local people need, now and in the years ahead. Bringing people together to share insight, experience and ideas is how real progress happens, and it’s through collaboration like this that we can build confidence, strengthen opportunities and support a more resilient workforce across Fenland.”
By hosting business network events, the College can reaffirm its commitment to ongoing engagement with local industry, expand learning opportunities for local people and support Fenland’s economic resilience by growing a skilled and future ready labour market.