Column: How Somerset can encourage students to stay

This year's recipient was Ella Wright, who is now studying psychology at Cardiff University.

My late wife, Karen, taught physics and chemistry at Richard Huish College for 19 years.

She also ran the support programme for applicants to medicine and veterinary sciences for Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Another passion was the debating club she ran for many years, coaching teams that won national competitions.

She was a remarkable force of nature.

I still meet many people whose lives were touched by her, and it is lovely to meet new generations of our young people going on to achieve their full potential.

Karen sadly had a brain haemorrhage in 2013, which left her struggling to speak and impaired her understanding.

She retired, and I stepped away from teaching to support her recovery and our three teenage children.

Sadly, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and then passed away in 2019.

This first-hand experience has taught me to appreciate the awesome work our unpaid carers do and the importance of keeping people who need support at home for as long as possible.

Karen’s life was richer for having friends and family around her through these difficult years, supporting her through good days and bad.

Seeing young people succeed academically, but then find that they can only pursue their dreams and ambitions outside of Somerset, has long been a frustration of mine.

We have an amazing county, and I know many youngsters would like to stay.

All three of my children went to higher education outside of Somerset because those opportunities were not here; two of them are pursuing successful careers in Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire.

It’s a pattern I hear of frequently.

We are rightly proud of our colleges in Somerset.

I have a particular affection for Richard Huish College, but watching the University College Somerset group of Taunton, Cannington, Strode, and Bridgwater all flourishing gives me great hope.

Yeovil College recently achieved Technical Defence Excellence status, and UCS have been awarded Technical Excellence status for clean energy.

This shows that with the investment into Somerset that we have secured into Leonardo Helicopters, Hinkley Point C, and into the Agratas factory at the Gravity site, Somerset’s economy is growing.

I know there are other conversations happening with the team at Somerset Council alongside our MPs and government to bring investment into Somerset.

The ambitious tidal lagoon project in West Somerset is one example of that.

That our colleges are becoming nationally renowned for their vocational work is hugely reassuring, especially with the rise of degree apprenticeships.

Somerset has a demographic that was getting older and needing more support from our expensive health and care systems.

We can mitigate that demand through prevention: keeping people well and supported at home for as long as possible.

But we also need an economy that can support our county to thrive.

Our visitor economy, the food sector, and arts and culture have always done well in Somerset.

We are expanding that to include making high-value manufacturing and clean energy production our contributions to the nation.

In an increasingly uncertain world, we need to turn to generate the wealth that will sustain Somerset for future generations.

Prosperity pays for all.