Council owned career company to close next year

A careers advice company owned by four councils in the South West is to close next year.

CSW Group is operated by Cornwall Council, Devon County Council, Plymouth City Council, and Torbay Council.

It provides career guidance and support to young people and employers.

The local authority has now the joint decision has been made to shut down the business by next summer.

The local authorities are now looking at either bringing CSW staff  in house or commissioning another provider.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said the authorities had “reluctantly concluded that its funding and operational position has changed such that the company is no longer viable”.

In a statement, the council said: “As such, the cabinets of each authority have agreed that a new approach must be taken that ensures there is minimal impact on the young people who use the education and employment support services provided by CSW.”

It continued: “Whilst clearly a difficult moment of change for staff, owners and customers, the four local authorities believe that now is the right time to make this change if the expertise and high-quality service that has benefitted the peninsula for the past 30 years is to be preserved.

“Owners and management will be seeking to work closely in support of wider staff members and customers who are not to be part of the transfer process, helping them to find new opportunities within the peninsula where appropriate.”