Strengthened partnership to support skills post Covid

22nd July 2020

Sheffield Hallam University and The Sheffield College have announced a new strategic partnership which will support the post Covid-19 recovery.

The two institutions have committed to working even more closely to provide a joined-up approach to skills development offer for both students and employers, at a time when significant support will be required to help get our economy back on track.

The announcement comes as the government continues to focus the ‘levelling up’ agenda and the Chancellor sets out a £2bn ‘kickstart’ package to prevent a youth unemployment crisis.

The strategic partnership will focus on access to further and higher education for all – creating more opportunities for young people and adult learners who want to build new, much-needed skills.

Sheffield Hallam University and The Sheffield College have a combined total of more than 46,000 students and apprentices and partnerships with thousands of regional employers.

The two organisations will work alongside employer partners to ensure the skills needs and challenges of the region and nationally are addressed, through a collaborative education and skills system.

Examples of how the institutions will work together for the benefit of the region include:

• A new Access to Policing course, delivered at The Sheffield College that leads learners to a Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship at Sheffield Hallam.
• Collaborating on construction apprenticeships, taking a joined-up approach to the new apprenticeships standards to address the needs of employers and the region.
• Developing new courses to support careers in health and social care, to alleviate some of the enormous pressure of Covid-19 on those services.
• Looking more broadly at what both institutions teach, where, and at what level, to see how this fits with the skills needs of the region and what can be done collectively to support local jobs, local employers and local learners.

Sheffield Hallam University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Chris Husbands, said:

“As communities face unprecedented economic and social challenges in the wake of Covid-19, colleges and universities have never been more important.

“This partnership is part of our collective commitment to serving the economic, educational, and social needs of South Yorkshire - providing a more joined-up skills offer for both learners and employers in the region.

“It will create more and better opportunities for our young people, as well as for adult learners looking to build new skills, as we support the region’s recovery from the impact of Covid-19."

Chief Executive and Principal of The Sheffield College, Angela Foulkes, said:

"We will do everything we can to support the city as part of a skills led recovery, ensuring that students access education and training opportunities to go further in their careers and employers can recruit people with the skills necessary for our city’s growth. We are pleased to join forces with Sheffield Hallam University on this vital work."

This partnership is part of a collective commitment to serving the economic, educational and social needs of Sheffield. It is in addition to the recent establishment of a broader Regional Skills Council to drive connectivity and collaboration across the region, working with the two universities, all of our vital further education colleges in Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster, as well as businesses and local government.