£3bn education cash boost welcomed by Sheffield College

The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP this week announced that the government will invest £3 billion in employment, training and education schemes for 16 to 24-year-olds.

And this is welcome news for The Sheffield College.

College chief executive and principal, Angela Foulkes, said: “We welcome this vital investment in education and training for young people and employers to support a skills led recovery from Covid-19.

"We also recognise the importance of the FE sector continuing to lobby the government for further investment in adults skills and retraining, which is a major priority for Sheffield City Region."

She added: “The Sheffield College will be at the forefront of working with employers and stakeholders across the city to ensure that learners access education and training opportunities and get the skills to start and go further in their careers.

"As the economy recovers, employers will need talented learners with the relevant skills for their businesses to grow.”

The college is the largest provider of apprenticeships in Sheffield and Sheffield City Region and works with approximately 850 employers supporting around 2,800 apprentices on 139 apprenticeship programmes.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the college has supported apprentices to be able to continue their learning. This has included loaning devices to enable them to access online learning and complete assessments.

Recent research has shown that in 2017/18, former college apprentices employed in the Sheffield City Region workforce contributed £9.2 million in added income.

Employers, according to the EMSI research commissioned by the college, receive £1.30 in return for every £1 invested in the college’s apprentices, as those apprentices become more competent, skilled and productive.

The college provides apprenticeships across a range of sectors including horticulture, childcare, business administration, sales, engineering, catering, pharmacy and human resources. For a breakdown of the funding visit www.aoc.co.uk/news/

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