The secretary of state for education, Gillian Keegan visited Truro and Penwith College to see the impact of investment in skills for Cornwall's students first-hand.
She toured the three campuses in Penzance, Truro and Bodmin on April 18 and 19.
Ms Keegan interacted with staff, students and apprentices across fields like digital technology, engineering, healthcare and construction.
She also attended a roundtable with local employers and education providers in Penwith to understand Cornwall's skills needs and ways in which the government can support businesses in acquiring employees needed for growth.
The education secretary also inaugurated the college’s STEM and Health skills centre at the Bodmin campus.
This new facility, supported by £3.78 million from government Local Enterprise Partnerships, is set to provide young Cornish individuals with a gateway into future industries.
It is in a cooperative relationship with Imerys, recruiting 12 apprentices for their Level Three Engineering Technician apprenticeship project.
Ms Keegan said: "Cornwall has such a proud history of enterprise, hard work and innovation and it’s been inspiring to meet so many fantastic young people getting the skills they need for the future.
"Truro and Penwith college shows that when employers work together with education providers, they can really power growth and public services in an area, and these new facilities are transformative for North Cornwall."
The college principal, Martin Tucker, expressed his enthusiasm about Gillian Keegan's visit.
He stated how it provided a platform for discussing the future of education and training in Cornwall, and provided the opportunity to officially inaugurate the new Bodmin STEM and Health Skills Centre with North Cornwall MP Scott Mann.
Ms Keegan's visit also saw her at Truro College, where she met young people studying T Levels.
Truro and Penwith College has been a pioneer in introducing these new qualifications and is receiving T Level capital investment of £773,700 together with £2.5 million through the Local Skills Improvement Fund.
It is rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted and is connected with the South West Institute of Technology, an institution realised with approximately £14 million of government capital funding.
This financial support also helped towards the construction of the new Valency building in Truro.
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