THE SECOND CUTLERS' 'MADE IN SHEFFIELD' AMBASSADORS GRADUATE!

We held the second passport ceremony for the Cutlers 'Made in Sheffield' programme yesterday evening at the Cutlers Hall in Sheffield! 152 young ambassadors received their passports from David Grey, the current Master Cutler in front of an packed audience of parents and carers and guests. The highlight of the evening was the contribution by Abbey Metcalfe, a retail ambassador from Westfield School, and Mbachi Kambele, an engineering ambasssador from Firth Park Academy. These two young ambassadors talked passionately about the programme and the impact it has had on their skills, attitude to work and school work.

The Cutlers’ Company has been working with schools and colleges, businesses and employers to help these young people develop the skills and attitudes that are essential for the world of work. Last night marked the culmination of two years hard work in the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector, the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Sheffield Children's Hospital, the retail sector and the computer science sector. 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 scheme is going from strength to strength with nearly 500 young people now on the programme and more schools are expected to join the scheme from September as the construction sector join the list of employers and sectors involved.