ANOTHER GREAT TERM IN SHEFFIELD!

I really enjoyed being in Sheffield again last term working with some great colleagues as we continued to refine and develop the Cutlers' Made in Sheffield Programme.

The programme now has groups of young people working with employers in the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector, the glass industries, the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, computer science with The University of Sheffield, the retail sector and the Sheffield Children's Hospital. We are also discussing further developments in the arts, sport and the care sector. We are now actively working with nine Sheffield secondary schools, the two Sheffield colleges and the two Sheffield universities, and in discussions with another four secondary schools about joining the programme from next year.

Together with colleagues from businesses and schools we have researched and developed a skills and competencies framework which is similar to those operating and being developed in Ontario, Singapore and many other high achieving countries. This has been developed by employers and schools working together to clearly describe the skills young people need for the world of work and to become 21st Century Learners who can compete for jobs with young people from across the world. We have also developed a rigorous quality assurance framework to underpin the brand and the standards which we intend to use to continue to further develop the model and to recognise and reward the schools involved in the programme. Anyone who wants to find out more please let me know.