CORNWALL must act now to train young people for hundreds of potential jobs at the proposed Redmoor mine, a senior councillor has warned.

Cllr Andrew Long, Mebyon Kernow councillor for Callington, Kelly Bray and St Dominic, has urged Cornwall Council and the county’s colleges to get moving before a major new mining operation potentially opens within five years.

He fears local youngsters could miss out on well-paid jobs if the right training is not put in place – despite Cornwall Resources having previously stated it wants to fill much of its workforce locally.

Speaking at the recent full Cornwall Council meeting, Cllr Long said: “The time for the Council, along with colleges like Duchy, Callywith and Cornwall College, to act in providing training opportunities for young people is now.”

He described Redmoor as a potential “major game changer” for East Cornwall and warned that the skills required by the modern mining industry needed to be addressed well before production begins.

“The Redmoor mine project is moving forward rapidly,” he said. “Whilst the company behind the scheme, Cornwall Resources, have long stated they want to fill 90 per cent of the jobs locally, this means that young people need to be taught subjects that will enable them to fill these jobs.”

Cllr Long is now planning to visit local colleges and speak to senior officials to find out what training is being prepared beyond existing provision at Camborne School of Mines.

His intervention comes as Redmoor has received a major boost this year, with Cornwall Resources unveiling a dramatically upgraded estimate of the minerals beneath the site near Kelly Bray.

The 2026 Mineral Resource Estimate puts the tungsten ore resource at 17.4-million tonnes – a 49 per cent increase on the previous estimate.

The potential mine life has also more than doubled, rising from 12 years to 29 years.

The project contains tungsten, tin and copper, while significant quantities of silver have also been identified for the first time.

Cornwall Resources says the figures reinforce Redmoor’s position as Europe’s highest-grade undeveloped tungsten resource.

The scale of the potential project has sharpened concerns over whether Cornwall has the workforce and training infrastructure needed to ensure the economic benefits are felt locally.

Cllr Long wants colleges to begin preparing young people for those opportunities now rather than waiting until construction or production is under way.

His concerns have been backed by Kernow Rydh, the youth wing of Mebyon Kernow.

Spokesperson Jowan Nute said young people should be able to access “good jobs in their own communities”, particularly at a time when seasonal and insecure employment remained common.

“Cornwall Council should be working with colleges and employers wherever possible to ensure that young people can learn the skills needed for secure jobs and emerging career pathways,” he said.

Redmoor has already received support through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, funded through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered locally by Cornwall Council.

Further drilling is planned as Cornwall Resources moves towards a pre-feasibility study.