The group – made up of representatives from Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, Sheffield Hallam University and Foundation Degree Forward (fdf) – are spearheading a project to develop a new Foundation Degree in Leadership & Management, specifically designed to respond to the needs of SME employers in the South Yorkshire sub region.

fdf is a national body that supports the development and validation of high quality Foundation degrees. Funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, fdf works in partnership with all relevant agencies, institutions, organisations and interest groups to support employer engagement across higher education programmes generally and in relation to Foundation degrees specifically.

Tracey Williams will be project coordinator on the link-up which will be a catalyst for forging stronger relationships between employers and education.

The Chamber initially joined forces with fdf last year and began working closely with further and higher education institutions, as well as actively encouraging employers to take greater steps to tackle local skills gaps.

The business support organisation now hopes the new project and the resulting Foundation Degree will address the needs of the SME sector, especially in significant target areas such as advanced engineering, digital industries and food and drink manufacturing.

Chamber head of business development Paul Reeves said: “It is estimated the SME market in South Yorkshire boasts approximately 20,000 employers and it is one of growing relevance to the area’s prosperity in terms of employment and income.

“We believe this project will be a beacon in the sub region, increasing engagement with higher skills and raising awareness of the benefits of the Foundation Degree. 

“We are very aware that Leadership & Management skills are particularly relevant to SMEs in terms of raising aspiration and improving business performance.”

Feedback from previous fdf and Chamber research included the views of a number of employers who believed a high level of work-based learning was necessary to address skills shortages in the leadership and management area.

Added Paul: “South Yorkshire is recovering from a decline during the 1980s when heavy industry collapsed.  What has emerged is the growth of the service sector and small manufacturing units which are heavily populated by SMEs. The SME market is therefore of huge significance for the sub-regions development and sustainability.”

Back (L-R) fdf ’s Hilary Day and Sheffield Hallam University’s Tim Davidson-Hague and Lorna Daly with (front row) the Chamber’s Paul Reeves and fdf project coordinator Tracey Williams.