THE FIRST CUTLERS AMBASSADORS GRADUATE!

I attended the first graduation ceremony for the Cutlers 'Made in Sheffield' Ambassadors yesterday evening!. In front of a packed and enthusiastic audience, of parents, carers, employers and students at the Cutlers Hall, the ambassadors received their passports from the current Master Cutler.

The Cutlers’ Company has been working with schools and colleges, businesses and employers in the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector and the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. And last night 107 young people from Bradfield, Firth Park, Forge Valley, Meadowhead, Stocksbridge and Yewlands received the first Cutlers' Made in Sheffield Skills Passports from Tony Peddar, the current Master Cutler. “We are delighted that the scheme has been so successful,” said Tony. “These wonderful young people have shown what is possible and have been fantastic ambassadors for their sectors”

The scheme began in 2012, when it was formally launched at the Cutlers’ Hall. The aim of the initiative was to provide school leavers with an additional skills-set based on the needs of the workplace - developing character, resilience and grit, basic skills like literacy, numeracy, communication and creativity and higher level skills like teamwork, problem solving and critical thinking. The 'Made in Sheffield' programme, with the associated skills framework and passport to recognise and accredit young people's learning, has attracted interest from other sectors and other schools and has been expanded to the retail sector, the glass industry, computer science and the Sheffield Children's Hospital. It has also been really encouraging to have both Sheffield College and Longley Park Sixth Form College working with us and to have the support of the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University.

The scheme is going from strength to strength with 334 young people now on the programme and more schools are expected to join the scheme from September as the care sector, arts and culture, sport, health and well-being, Thornbury Hospital and HMRC join the list of employers and sectors involved.

Next years graduation ceremony will be even bigger. Watch this space!