News: South Yorkshire business leaders urge Home Secretary to support international students

South Yorkshire business leaders are urging the government to consider the critical role that international students play in the growth and success of UK businesses when developing the forthcoming Immigration White Paper.

Representatives from business groups across the region published an open letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighting the importance of international students to economic prosperity in South Yorkshire, warning that any measures that restrict international students who can come to the UK would harm local businesses and regional regeneration.

The letter – signed by the Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham and Doncaster Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, Confederation of British Industry (Yorkshire & Humber), the Company of Cutlers’ in Hallamshire, the South Yorkshire Institute of Directors and Made in Sheffield – urges the government not to make any changes to international student immigration policy that would have a detrimental impact on businesses in UK towns and cities.

Business leaders outlined their support for the continuation of the Graduate visa route – a visa which allows international students to stay in the UK for two years after graduation, or three years for those with a PhD. This is a key part of UK universities’ offer to prospective international students and enables businesses to benefit from this talent.

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Carrie Sudbury, Chief Executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, said: “Upon graduating, international students continue to contribute to the region by working with and for us. The Graduate visa route is an important part of maintaining UK higher education’s competitiveness and can also be a means by which international students use their talent to help grow our businesses domestically and internationally. And, on top of that, they act as advocates for the region when returning home.



“We recognise the long-lasting impact that international students’ soft power has on South Yorkshire.”

The letter follows the publication of a statement by leaders across South Yorkshire, including MPs and the South Yorkshire Mayor, showing their support for international students and the positive impact they have on communities in the region.

The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University are home to more than 11,000 international students from more than 150 countries.

Sheffield Central is the second highest parliamentary constituency for net economic impact in the UK, with the contribution of international students from both universities reaching £521m, meaning the area was financially better off by £5,800 per person, on average, because of international students.

Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce website

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News: New £3m programme launched to support South Yorkshire innovation

The new South Yorkshire Innovation Programme (SYIP) has been officially launched to help regional organisations to innovate, accelerate, and grow.

SYIP is a collaboration led by Sheffield Hallam University with the University of Sheffield and Barnsley Council, and is backed by £3m via the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA). It has been co-designed and developed with each of the four South Yorkshire local authorities.

The programme will provide opportunities to access expert consultancy, including academic-led innovation audits and discovery days; professional interventions; student projects and placements; and specialist equipment and facilities provided by the universities and Barnsley Council.

Support will be available to South Yorkshire-based organisations of all sizes and across all sectors. Participating organisations will contribute a percentage of full project costs, based on their size, and also be eligible for funding support.

Several partnerships have developed between Sheffield’s universities, local authorities and SYMCA aimed at driving economic growth and inward investment into South Yorkshire.

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South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “Our ideas powered the industrial revolution. We invented the world’s most popular sport. We’ve created products that are used worldwide, from New York fire hydrants that are made in Rotherham to the McLaren supercar in Sheffield.

“Mclaren, Boeing and Rolls Royce already work alongside brilliant local businesses, in and around our world-class advanced manufacturing district.

“My mission is to build a bigger and better economy but to do that we need to create new industries and jobs for the future.

“Innovation is how we will achieve this vision and we can’t do that by just focusing on one sector or capability. We’ll only do it by working in partnership and that’s why I’m pleased to be investing in the Innovation Programme.

“There is talent and opportunity right across our region and by investing in our people and places we can unlock South Yorkshire’s full potential.”

Professor Conor Moss, Executive Dean of the College of Business, Technology and Engineering and of Sheffield Business School, at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “There are more opportunities for businesses and organisations to thrive in South Yorkshire now than there ever have been before. The key is innovation, and we are delighted to be leading this programme to help people in our region to scale-up and reach their goals.

“At Sheffield Hallam, we believe in collaboration and in championing our region. SYIP will help us to take cutting-edge research and knowledge from our academics and turn it into tangible advice and outcomes for businesses."

Professor Sue Hartley, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at the University of Sheffield, said: “At the University of Sheffield we’re committed to collaborating with partners across the region to drive innovation and fuel economic growth. This ambitious programme is a brilliant opportunity to build on our successes and forge new partnerships with businesses and organisations of all sizes.

“We look forward to learning more about regional organisations’ specific challenges and aspirations, and how we can harness our world-leading research and expertise to help them innovate and grow in a rapidly changing landscape.”

South Yorkshire Innovation Programme website

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News: New £3m South Yorkshire Innovation Programme to help business innovate and grow

Rotherham businesses can access opportunities to engage in and benefit from innovation-led growth, driving innovation led activities.

The South Yorkshire Innovation Programme (SYIP), a collaboration led by Sheffield Hallam University with the University of Sheffield and Barnsley Council, is backed by £3m via the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has been co-designed and developed with each of the four South Yorkshire local authorities.

SYIP will provide opportunities for businesses to engage in and benefit from innovation-led growth, driving innovation led activities. It will build upon a successful track record of delivering innovation support to SMEs in the region.

The programme will provide access to high-quality and bespoke innovation support including academic consultancy, innovation audits, student projects and placements, access to university equipment and facilities, events and technical workshops.

Support will be available to organisations of all sizes across all sectors based in South Yorkshire, including charities and social enterprises. Further details on the launch of the programme and how organisations can access support will follow later this year.

The project is one of several partnerships between Sheffield’s universities, local authorities and SYMCA aimed at driving economic growth and inward investment into South Yorkshire.

Others include the Sheffield Innovation Spine, a long-term spatial and economic strategy to create and link the infrastructure required to grow knowledge-led businesses and the Innovation Network South Yorkshire which brings together academics, businesses and organisations at free networking events to encourage collaboration.

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South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “We are getting on with the job of building a bigger, better economy in South Yorkshire. But we can’t build a new future without new ideas.

“That’s why it’s vital we bring together our world-leading universities and local authorities to help our local businesses harness innovation. The South Yorkshire Innovation Programme will help our businesses to create the future here, right here.

“I’m determined to build a South Yorkshire that works together to spread wealth, opportunity and success to all our communities.”

Professor Rory Duncan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “At a time of rapid advancements across an ever-increasing range of sectors, the ability to innovate and harness new technology is more important than ever for businesses of all sizes.

“Sheffield Hallam is delighted to be leading this new programme fostering stronger partnerships between academia and business. This collaboration aims to translate cutting-edge research and knowledge into tangible solutions that address the unique challenges of our region’s businesses."

Professor Ashutosh Tiwari, Deputy Vice-President for Innovation at the University of Sheffield, said: “The University of Sheffield has a proven track record of partnering with local organisations to drive innovation and boost economic growth. This collaborative programme offers an exciting opportunity to build on our successes.

“We’re very much looking forward to working closely with some of South Yorkshire’s innovative organisations to help them adapt and thrive as the challenges they face continue to evolve. Together, we can turn our world-leading research into practical solutions to address the region’s specific needs, while strengthening South Yorkshire’s position as a hub for innovation.”

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News: Small businesses helped to grow

A group of 22 senior leaders from 21 local small and medium-sized businesses are the latest to take part in the government-funded Help to Grow: Management programme at Sheffield Hallam University.

The 12-week course is designed for local business owners and senior leaders who are keen to grow their organisation. It is accredited by the Small Business Charter and 90% subsidised by the government.

The University’s Sheffield Business School has supported the delivery of the course to 180 participants since it launched in September 2021.

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Amy Moore, Project Manager, Prima Industries Ltd. based in Rotherham, said: “I signed up for Help to Grow as I have not previously had any formal management training, and I hope the programme will give me a well-rounded introduction to all the areas the course covers. As part of a growing ecommerce business, I am particularly interested in how we can use digital technology to simplify our processes and improve productivity.”

Professor Conor Moss, Dean of Sheffield Business School at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting senior leaders from Barnsley and Rotherham SMEs to further develop their ideas, their people and their businesses. We have delivered this leadership programme to over 180 participants across Sheffield and Doncaster so it is great to be able to extend this to reach all areas of South Yorkshire.

“We have seen the impact the Help to Grow: Management course has had on SMEs in building resilience within their businesses and in driving growth.”

Sheffield Hallam University website

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News: Funding secured to build on AMID

£763,000 has been secured from the government for the development of innovation-led opportunities connected to the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) in Sheffield and Rotherham.

Awarded through the Government’s New Development Corporation Competition, the money will be used to unlock and accelerate transformational economic development activity across the AMID, which has expanded from the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham.

The AMID is home to the UK’s largest research-led advanced manufacturing cluster. It also boasts developing centres of innovation in health and wellbeing as well as vital energy research focussed on net-zero carbon processes.

There are also proposals for further world-leading research in areas such as gene therapy, modern methods of construction and future mobility.

With more than 30 nationally recognised research and development facilities, backed by Sheffield’s two outstanding universities, the AMID’s applied research capabilities are unrivalled and continue to attract world leading businesses such as McLaren, Rolls-Royce and Boeing.

It also supports new and established businesses across South Yorkshire to adapt positively to new challenges and changing economic conditions.

The AMID already hosts over 120 advanced manufacturing and tech firms which employ more than 2,300 people. Ambitious plans being developed aim to generate 4,000 new jobs and 2,000 additional apprenticeships.

Improving access to the emerging economic opportunities will also involve place-based regeneration including improving local amenities, building public spaces and creating over 8,000 new homes within the AMID and its surrounding communities by 2040 - creating sustainable neighbourhoods for the next generation.

Sheffield City Council, the Sheffield City Region (now the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority), The University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, Rotherham Council and the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park have worked together to secure the crucial funding which will also go towards improving connections to communities, businesses and education providers.

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Rotherham Council’s cabinet member for jobs and the local economy, Cllr Denise Lelliott, said: “The partnership between Rotherham and Sheffield has already helped to secure high quality jobs with world renowned companies, and high quality homes as well.

“This funding will help us to maximise opportunities in the future as we continue to support world class advanced manufacturing across South Yorkshire and we look forward to working with our partners across the region.”

Mayor of South Yorkshire, Dan Jarvis said: “This funding is great news. We’ve been working closely with Sheffield, Rotherham and the universities to develop the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District into a world-class centre of innovation and productivity.

“This funding will mean more high-quality jobs, more homes and will help us deliver the future we want for South Yorkshire.”

The New Development Corporation Competition is a £10m competitive fund launched in October 2019 to support up to ten local places with exploring delivery models that have been less commonly used in a contemporary context, such as development corporations.

Development corporations can help boost developments by providing focus, help coordinate plans for new development across different council boundaries and give builders the confidence to invest in sites.

Kevin Kerrigan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Business and Enterprise at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “This funding enables us to shape a compelling future vision for advanced innovation in Sheffield, Rotherham and the wider region, to embrace community building alongside business growth and to showcase our creativity and application to the world.

“Sheffield Hallam University will be a key partner in delivering a world leading innovation district that is a catalyst for investment and growth.”

Dr Sarah Want, Director of Partnerships & Regional Engagement at the University of Sheffield said: “We are delighted that the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District has been awarded funding to enable its further development.

“Over the last two decades, we’ve worked very hard with regional partners and have seen how the clustering of local businesses, national and global companies and our research facilities has led to inward investment and provided opportunities for regional manufacturers to expand into new markets and for the region’s skills base to develop.

“For all partners, it's very exciting to receive this funding as a recognition of the things that we’ve already achieved together. We're looking forward to working with partners old and new to realise even more of the region’s potential through this project.”

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News: RISE graduate scheme returns

The fifth cohort of the RISE graduate scheme is now available to Rotherham businesses. It is part of a unique business support initiative focussed on enabling small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow through the employment of graduate talent.

RISE has been effective in helping SMEs overcome the barriers faced in graduate recruitment and equipping them with the tools and know-how to become successful graduate employers.

Since 2013 RISE has supported more than 400 SMEs based across the Sheffield City Region, successfully recruit over 500 graduates.

Many of those businesses have gone on to report increases in turnover, productivity, innovation and growth as a result. The enhanced RISE project now provides even more comprehensive business support and business benefits.

RISE support is free for businesses to use.

The scheme will help businesses access top quality graduate talent for your business through the following means:
- Help to draft an advert, providing graduate-specific labour market advice and expertise
- Advertise the role as part of a national targeted advertising campaign
- Undertake candidate selection processes using application forms, technical tests, video interviews and assessment centres
- Assist in the logistics of setting up final interviews
- Sessions/training on best-practice recruitment, allowing us to transfer the know-how to recruit graduates in the future
- A grant available for businesses who use the scheme for the first time

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Elaine Errington, HR and finance director at Rotherham-based S3-ID, said: "Our business plan is to bring people in early and give them the experience they need. Through our apprenticeship schemes and RISE graduates, we are building engineers of the future.

"RISE is helping to secure the future workforce and success of the business."

Oliver Tarrant, SME Engagement manager with RISE said: “During these uncertain times we recognise how important it is that small and medium sized businesses, who are wanting to grow their business and recruit talented graduates, receive high-quality, straightforward, and safe support.

“We will work closely with businesses to provide a tailored service and to help them save costs and time, offering a rigorous selection process.

“We are engaging with businesses from now until 10th February, but we are ideally looking for businesses to get in touch as soon as possible.”

The RISE programme is delivered in partnership by Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield, and is part-funded by the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

RISE launched in 2013 in direct response to the needs of businesses. With an early remit to grow the local economy through graduate attraction, matching, retention and job creation, the scheme has evolved over the last seven years to add value through wrap-around business growth support.

RISE website

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News: £1.8m for skills-led economic recovery

Sheffield Hallam University and two partner colleges have been awarded more than £1.8m funding to support regional businesses during continued Covid restrictions and enable a skills-led economic recovery.

The project, led by Sheffield Hallam with support from further education delivery partners The Sheffield College and the RNN Group, will help companies to innovate and adapt to reach their full potential as the country deals with the impact of a second national lockdown.

RNN Group consists of University Centre Rotherham, Rotherham College, North Notts College and Dearne Valley College.

Businesses will be offered a diagnostic service through an ‘SME Hub’ and will receive a tailored package of products, services and academic expertise to support them during the ongoing challenges.

It will also support the development of skills and experience of students and graduates across the three institutions through project work, placements and internships with regional businesses.

The scheme will help to establish a dedicated team of small business experts to work with SMEs, start-ups and micro-businesses, to overcome challenges and develop new opportunities including:

- links to funded initiatives to help businesses to innovate and grow
- match skilled graduates and students for short and long-term projects and placements
- workforce upskilling and professional development programmes
- collaboration with sector-specialist academics to solve organisational problems

The University runs a number of programmes and initiatives which already support businesses regionally and across the UK, to help businesses access academic research and innovation, establish and build-up new businesses, and access new talent through placements, internships and apprenticeships.

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The new funding, from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), will bring the University’s and its partner Colleges’ business-facing services together to enable a bespoke package to be offered to SME businesses to overcome their specific challenges or realise opportunities.

Conor Moss, group director and dean of work-based learning at Sheffield Hallam, said: “This project will transform the way we work with businesses to ensure each client receives access to the right support, services and expertise to address the skills priorities and needs of the business.

“The Sheffield City Region will benefit from this service by increasing the number of SME businesses achieving or exceeding their growth aims, and by encouraging more young people to begin careers in the region once they finish their education – supporting the Government’s levelling up agenda.

“The programme will particularly benefit small or microbusinesses who are often challenged by limited resources, strategic planning capacity and the ability to engage with innovation and manage change.”

SHU website

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News: Inspiring young people to aim high

A regional outreach scheme to increase the number of teenagers from South Yorkshire going on to higher education has helped more than 15,000 so far.

The Higher Education Progression Partnership South Yorkshire (HeppSY) aims to support young people most at risk of missing out on higher education.

It is part of the newly launched Uni Connect programme funded by the Office for Students (OfS). As part of Uni Connect, it has now launched a regional hub to reach even more young people considering their options.

Mike Garnock-Jones, director, Higher Education Progression Partnership, said: "It's great to have reached this major milestone to transform the career and life prospects of thousands of young people in our region who might not have otherwise gone on to consider studying a degree at college, university or as part of an apprenticeship.

One student who has benefited from the programme is Lewis Rookes, aged 17, who is studying A Levels at Thomas Rotherham College.

Lewis (pictured) said: "I was worried I wouldn't be able to get into higher education and that I could never achieve the grades I needed. I still worry about it a bit but I know that I'm able and have the ability to get into university."

"Most of my family hasn’t been to university so I thought that might lock me out, but I've realised university is open to anyone and you don't have to have all As, A*s. I've applied to a mix of universities.

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HeppSY works with young people from Year 9 who live in 45 target wards in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, and parts of North East Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire and has worked with 15,600 so far at 46 schools and colleges.

Lewis added: "Without HeppSY, and the college's support, I wouldn't have had the confidence to apply to universities away from home. Before HeppSY, I believed what I saw on TV shows. I thought only smart people could go to university and you'd be studying day and night with set teachers and set hours.

"But actually if you apply to the right place there's something to suit everyone and a variety of courses out there. It was the same with student finance. I was worried that I'd be in debt for the rest of my life and everyone had said that to me, but in actuality it's only a student loan and you pay it off depending on circumstances."

The evidence shows that higher education participation of young people in these areas is both low and much lower than expected based on GCSE-level attainment. The definition of higher education includes degree level courses at further education colleges and universities in addition to higher and degree level apprenticeships.

HeppHub website

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News: SCR universities head up business support projects

Nearly £5m has been secured to boost business and enterprise in the Sheffield city region (SCR) with the local universities working in partnerships to coordinate support.

ScaleUp 360 is a three-year European funded project that brings together a group of business experts from  Doncaster and East Midlands Chambers of Commerce and Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre (BBIC) under the leadership of Sheffield Hallam University.

The group will deliver a tailored high growth support programme to businesses and entrepreneurs, from pre/early start-up to investment ready, with the ambition to grow their business.

Each client will have a dedicated account manager whose role it will be to ensure they have access to the scale-up  expertise, knowledge and connections they need to grow a sustainable and investment ready business.This will include 1-2-1 specialist business advice, mentor support, workshops and access to investment opportunities.

Professor Kevin Kerrigan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Business and Enterprise at Sheffield Hallam University, said: "ScaleUp 360is an ambitious Sheffield City Region wide accelerator programme designed to provide the inspirational advice and support that businesses and entrepreneurs need in order to achieve sustainable high growth.

"Sheffield Hallam's support for entrepreneurs and regional businesses through innovation and enterprise is just one of the ways the University is driving future economies in the region and beyond."

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£1.8m in further European funding has also been secured for the Sheffield Innovation Programme (SIP) that was set up in 2016 to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) from across the region in accessing academic expertise, facilities and resources at both the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University to stimulate innovation and deliver new products and services.

The programme is free for businesses to use and, since it began, more than 200 academics from both universities have worked with more than 300 companies from across the region. This has helped businesses in the region to engage in more than £1.2m worth of collaborative projects through Innovate UK programmes.

Professor Dave Petley, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at the University of Sheffield, said: "We're delighted that this successful programme, which has such a profound impact on businesses and economic growth in our region, will continue for another three years.

"This scheme is a fantastic way for regional businesses to access our world-leading facilities and academic expertise to drive innovation and find solutions to the challenges they face."

ScaleUp 360 website
Sheffield Innovation Programme website

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News: RISE returns to support more local businesses

Rotherham companies will be able once again to sign up to a project to connect graduates to small to medium-sized businesses after it successfully secured European funding earlier this year.

RISE has helped growing businesses across the Sheffield city region (SCR) to recruit talented graduates for the past five years in an effort to help them develop and innovate. Over the next three the project will work with over 200 businesses to employ 330 more graduates and businesses that take part will have access to an improved wrap around support offer, all at no charge to them. Funding for an enhanced RISE project has been secured from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and matched by Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield.

RISE works with businesses to understand their needs, provide information, advice and guidance on graduate recruitment and help them define the job they want to offer. RISE then advertises and sifts applications so the business can choose its preferred candidate and offers ongoing support for the first six months a graduate is in post. Salary subsidy grants are available to all businesses at a standard £1,000 rate or, on a first come first served basis, at £2,500 for high tech roles or businesses.

The project has already supported over 500 businesses to advertise nearly 700 graduate jobs.

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Mark Walsh, managing director at Rotherham-based PointSolutions, said: "Having a higher level grant for high tech businesses and roles will really help us attract candidates with the skills that are in such short supply in the market. Small and medium businesses, who are driving technical upskill in businesses, often struggle to compete with corporates despite offering a much more diverse environment for graduates to progress their careers. It is fantastic to see RISE help smaller businesses overcome this barrier to recruiting great talent."

This fresh roll out of RISE will see businesses skilled up so they can continue to recruit graduates into the future. Businesses will benefit from a briefing session where they will have access to a range of advice and guidance as well as to specialist staff who will make business leaders aware of the region's wider support offer, so they can take advantage of all of the help that is out there.

Professor Koen Lamberts, vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: "RISE is a fantastic asset for the region's businesses and I hope that as many as possible will take advantage of the support that it offers. I am proud that our students are able to flourish and have real impact in local businesses and stay in the place they come to love as students. Retaining this talent is vital for the region’s economic health and competitiveness.”

Professor Chris Husbands, vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, added: "Sheffield Hallam has been a proud supporter of RISE since the project's inception. We are delighted that the scheme is entering this exciting new phase of delivery. RISE is a great way for us to create opportunities for our graduates and demonstrate the contributions they can make, whilst helping to drive future economies. I look forward to seeing many more success stories over the next three years."

RISE website

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News: Local firms can RISE again

A project which has been connecting graduates to small to medium-sized businesses across the region for the past five years is celebrating a major cash windfall.

Partners in the Sheffield city region (SCR) have been awarded £684,000 of funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

The funding matches a significant investment in the project made by The University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield City Council.

The RISE Enhancement Project will continue to expand the work of the RISE scheme, initially piloted in 2013 in response to SME feedback around recruiting graduates, which highlighted issues such as not having a training framework for a graduate employee and assessment centre style recruitment processes to find the "right" candidate being too expensive. Graduates also had concerns around employment opportunities.

RISE delivers a bespoke programme of business support activity designed to address the barriers limiting SMEs' access to graduates. This has helped to strengthen the skills base of the city region and enhance the region's reputation as a graduate-friendly place to pursue a rewarding career.

In five years RISE helped more than 300 local SMEs to recruit more than 400 graduate employees with over 75% of RISE graduates going on to secure permanent employment. Many progress quickly within the company, seeing increased responsibility and pay rises early on, proving the success of the matches made by the scheme.

A recent evaluation of the scheme estimated that RISE has had a positive economic impact of more than £7.7m in net Gross Valued Added (GVA) with its return on investment equally as impressive, standing at £14 per £1 spent. These figures compare very favourably to other graduate employment and business support schemes delivered across other parts of the UK.

Jonathan Buck, managing director at Riverside Automation, one of the companies which has benefitted from RISE, said: "RISE worked really well for us. The RISE team took on all the initial applications and whittled them down through the four assessment stages. Basically, they did a lot of ground work for us – which was great as we wouldn't have had the resources to interview the number of initial applicants ourselves."

The RISE Enhancement Project will launch in Autumn this year and will include new features, such as an enhanced grant for companies seeking to recruit competitive digital roles, in recognition of the significant shortage in these areas, which price many SMEs out of the graduate market.

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There will also be an improved business support offer, with businesses receiving information, advice and brokerage from specialist advisors and a dedicated post to support SMEs access other support after a graduate is appointed.

In the next three years the RISE Enhancement Project will support a further 200 SMEs across the SCR to recruit 330 graduate employees.

Professor Koen Lamberts, vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: "We are deeply proud that our University is working in partnership with our city region and local employers to develop the skilled graduates businesses need. Projects like RISE make us an extremely attractive region to those looking for talent to contribute to their companies. This "Sheffield model" is nationally and internationally pioneering, and I am happy to be able to commit funding to ensure it continues in the future."

Professor Chris Husbands, vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, added: "The University is committed to supporting the region to grow and thrive. RISE is a way we can create more opportunities for our graduates to stay and make excellent contributions to businesses here with their skills and knowledge they have gained through studying with us. I am so pleased that our support has ensured the continuation of RISE and look forward to seeing it grow and develop in this next phase."

Since RISE has expanded it is offered as part of the SCR Growth Hub, which aims to be the single point of contact for all business support across the region.

David Grimes, head of the SCR Growth Hub, said: "The RISE Enhancement Project is a useful initiative for the region's businesses to tap into and we're pleased to continue to support this successful programme as it helps connect graduate talent to businesses that are looking to innovate, grow and bring in new skills."

RISE website

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News: Bid to retain SCR's future leaders

A new course developed by Sheffield Hallam University in partnership with employers is aiming to stop the "brain drain" and keep leadership talent in the Sheffield city region (SCR).

Despite a belief to the contrary, only 22% of 2015 graduates who gained employment were still working in the SCR by 2017 - this is significantly lower than in other northern cities.

Research conducted by the University found their main reasons for leaving were a lack of better jobs and progression opportunities and wages being higher elsewhere.

The Professional Practice in Organisational and Regional Change Leadership (PGDip), for both graduates and non graduates, will start in May 2019.

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, said: "It is really important that we have a highly skilled workforce to drive the local economy across the Sheffield city region. We want people to have real opportunities for career development, so they in turn strengthen our local economy. That is why I welcome the work being undertaken by businesses working with Sheffield Hallam University to develop, nurture and retain talent in our area.

"The new programme at Hallam will be a valuable contribution to this and will support with regional challenges that we all face."

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Conor Moss, director of business engagement and employer partnerships at SHU, added: "As a resident of Sheffield for nearly 20 years, I know only too well what a great place our region is to work and live.

"Enterprising and vibrant urban communities coupled with beautiful countryside presents an attractive offer for anyone. That's why there are some extremely talented individuals active across our region - both home-grown and those who have chosen to stay here, often after coming to study at one of our two world class universities.

"However, whilst we have seen significant regional employment growth and some outstanding new developments in recent times, we all know that we need to do more. The region suffers from low productivity, our economy is building from a low base and there is fierce competition to attract new talent.

"It's a recognised fact that an above average percentage of talent chooses to start their career here immediately after graduating from university. However, perhaps not so well-known is that an above average number choose to leave two or three years into their career - depriving our region of the next generation of dynamic, future leaders."

Researchers spoke to 173 workers within 37 public and private small, medium and large organisations within the SCR.

Graduates said things that would keep them in the area included the right job, development opportunities, geography - with the area and family ties being a strong pull - and the prestige, size, reputation and culture of their employer, including attitude to work life balance.

Learners will spend 18 months studying while they work and the cost of the course is met by the employer.

SHU website

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News: Food Circle moves to new Rotherham premises

A Rotherham-based online supermarket which is tackling the issue of food waste head on has moved into a new premises in Dinnington following rapid expansion fuelled by a national marketing campaign which saw the business more than double its customer base within a matter of weeks.

Food Circle is the first online UK-based retailer offering surplus "in-date" healthy food and drink products, to customers at half the recommended retail price. It was launched by Sheffield Hallam history graduate James Barthorpe and his business partner Paul Simpson in January 2018.

Previously based at RiDO's Century Business Centre in Manvers, the company has now made the move to larger premises at Matrix Business Centre, another centre operated by RiDO. The new location is ideally situated in terms of distribution, making it easier to ship stock to customers across the nation as well as having more room to store the increasing product range.

As part of an ambitious growth strategy, they rolled out a comprehensive online and social media marketing campaign with the help of funding from a UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE) Kickstart grant in September; securing a raft of new clientele and solidifying Food Circle Supermarket's presence as the only retailer of its kind in the UK.

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Growth for the firm also follows a spate of recognition for its innovative approach to reducing the volume of produce that ends up in landfill unnecessarily, having recently won the Hallam Enterprise Award.

James Barthorpe, co-founder of Food Circle Supermarket, said: "We've been in contact with UK Steel Enterprise since we pitched for their investment as part of the Y-Accelerator programme in March 2018. Since then, the team have been very pro-active in offering their advice and support which has added a lot of value to our business.

"We were also given access to a UKSE Kickstart grant of £500 which we put towards our first ever proactive marketing campaign which has helped us to reach more new customers and grow our business significantly over the last couple of months."

Alan Stanley of UKSE, added: "I'm delighted that James and Paul's hard work and dedication has been recognised in their nomination for a Sheffield Business Award and would like to congratulate them on behalf of everyone at UKSE for their Hallam Enterprise Award win.

"It's excellent to see that the Kickstart grant has been of great help to Food Circle Supermarket, allowing them to reach out to their target market and promote the importance of diverting surplus food away from landfill."

UKSE is a subsidiary of Tata Steel tasked with assisting the economic regeneration of communities affected by changes in the steel industry.

Food Circle website
UKSE website

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News: AESSEAL makes donation for STEM campaign

Rotherham manufacturer AESSEAL has donated a £50,000 grant to Sheffield Hallam University, aimed at encouraging more women to work in engineering.

With its global headquarters at Templeborough, the £170m turnover company manufactures mechanical seals for a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, food, water, mining and pharmaceuticals.

The two year grant from the award-winning company will be used to encourage and support women in engineering, with more than 40 students benefitting from the donation.

Stephen Shaw, group engineering director at AESSEAL, formally made the donation while visiting the University's Hertha Ayrton STEM Centre, where he met current engineering students and took a look at current research projects including robotics and 3D printing.

Dr Leigh Fleming, deputy head of engineering at Sheffield Hallam, said: "The support of AESSEAL is hugely appreciated as we strive as a department to encourage more women to study and work in engineering. We have had dozens of success stories recently coming from our student body and we want these to continue."

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Chris Rea, managing director of AESSEAL and Sheffield Hallam honorary doctorate recipient, added: "Sheffield Hallam's engineering facilities and departments are making a valuable contribution to the region and we recognise this important work. We are pleased to be able to make this donation to such an important University, which is creating the next generation of engineers."

Mechanical engineering student Jodie Howlett, who met Stephen during his visit to the University, said: "Donations like this make a huge contribution to our studies, enabling us to gain greater experience, enjoy invaluable placements and grow our skills to further our careers."

AESSEAL recently won two awards at the prestigious British Engineering Excellence Awards (BEEAs), which recognised its commitment to promoting engineering as a career. It was named as Engineering Ambassador of the Year at the awards ceremony at London's County Hall. The company was also awarded the Grand Prix award, for being the "best of the best."

Julia Bloomer, learning and development manager at AESSEAL, said: "We're particularly proud that our commitment to the promotion of engineering as a career has been recognised in this way. AESSEAL is passionate about working with education establishments from primary schools right through to universities and providing a strong and supportive learning environment to develop high calibre, highly skilled engineers of the future."

AESSEAL website
Sheffield Hallam website

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News: Food Circle bags Hallam enterprise award

Food Circe, a start-up business set up in Rotherham to help people eat more healthily for less, enjoyed a taste of success after scooping the Sheffield Hallam University Enterprise award.

Hallam history graduate James Barthorpe and his business partner Paul Simpson launched Food Circle in January 2018. It is based at RiDO's Century Business Centre in Manvers.

Appalled at the quantity of good quality food and drink products that were routinely going to waste, James and Paul decided to create Food Circle, the first online UK-based retailer offering surplus "in-date" healthy food and drink products, to customers at half the recommended retail price.

The Hallam Enterprise Awards take place every year, and provides an opportunity for Hallam student and graduate start-ups to showcase their businesses and share their achievements with an audience and judging panel of fellow entrepreneurs and innovators from the business and higher education communities.

There was £10,000 of prize money up for grabs on the night, donated by Santander Universities (winner and runners-up awards) and QUICKPLAY (audience vote for the best business pitch). QUICKPLAY was co-founded by two Hallam graduates, Allen Holland and Will Parsons. As graduate recipients of the Enterprise Challenge Award back in 2006, they were keen to support the next generation of Hallam entrepreneurs.

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On winning the top prize of £5,000 to support the business, the Food Circle founders expressed their delight and thanked their supporters, including the customers and the brands they work with.

In addition to the winner, there were two runners-up prizes: The Happiness Bootcamp, a social enterprise created by psychology student, Amiee Browes, which helps people combat their mental health issues through the power of physical exercise and Fula Flavour, created by Hawa Soh, a business and human resource management graduate. Fula Flavour has created a range of Djembe chilli sauces inspired by her culinary childhood experiences from her country of origin in Guinea, West Africa.

The prize for the best pitch was awarded to computer science graduate and international break-dance specialist Torrell Euan. Torrell has combined his two passions to create Woosh! - an electronicjudging system that can be used for competitive break-dancing at all levels of competition.

Caroline Nouvellon, manager of the enterprise team at Sheffield Hallam University, said: "This is the second Hallam Enterprise Awards we have hosted and it has already become the highlight in the enterprise team's calendar.

"This awards event provides our talented students and graduates with an opportunity to showcase their businesses, entrepreneurial flair and professionalism. Their passion, drive and belief in their businesses combined with their resilience when meeting the challenges and set-backs they have all encountered, has made them worthy and deserving finalists.

"I am confident that all of their ventures have the potential for success and sustainability in the years ahead."

Food Circle website
Hallam Enterprise website

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News: RISE returns with £1,000 grants

The deadline is looming for Rotherham businesses who want to benefit from help in recruiting a graduate.

The RISE programme has supported over 250 businesses with over 400 roles in various sectors across the Sheffield city region (SCR), connecting businesses with graduates since the project's inception in 2010.

In its 17th cohort, RISE aims to support businesses achieve their business growth strategy by introducing new skills and talents to their workforce.

The scheme is offering a £1,000 grant for new SME businesses joining the project.

Established in 2013 by Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Hallam University and University of Sheffield, RISE was set up in response to SME feedback around recruiting graduates, which highlighted issues such as not having a training framework for a graduate employee and assessment centre style recruitment processes to find the "right" candidate being too expensive. Graduates also had concerns around employment opportunities.

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RISE has since expanded and is offered as part of the SCR Growth Hub, which aims to be the single point of contact for all business support across the region.

All businesses interested in the scheme need to sign up to the project by September 25. Final interviews of graduate candidates will take place in November with a predicted start month of January.

Recent RISE alumni including diverse companies such as: Magtec, Birley Manufacturing, EXAWATT, Cannon PR and Castus.

The internships are for a minimum of six months and both the businesses and the graduates are supported by the RISE team throughout this time with development events, site visits and support for their internal training.

RISE website
SCR Growth Hub website

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News: Business roadshows to support skills and innovation

Sheffield Hallam University is holding an "Open for Business" roadshow event in Rotherham next month to help local businesses understand the range of support on offer to help transform the way they work.

Businesses from across the region are invited to sign up to attend the free events to find out about the opportunities on offer in diverse areas of business including Higher and Degree Apprenticeships, internships and placements, knowledge transfer partnerships and access to the University's expertise and facilities through the Sheffield Innovation Programme.

The events are being hosted by the University alongside local enterprise partners in Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley and are open to local, national and international businesses.

They will take place between February and April, with the Rotherham event being held at New York Stadium on March 14. Partners in attendance include University Centre Rotherham – part of RNN Group and Rotherham Investment & Development Office (RiDO).

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Conor Moss, director of education and employer partnerships at Sheffield Hallam, said: "We want to be a university for the broader region with an applied approach to creating knowledge, innovations and solutions that impact on people's lives and being a beacon for what a university can do for and with its community.

"We work particularly closely with the Local Enterprise Partnership to identify hard-to-fill job areas, aiming to increase graduate employment in small and medium sized enterprises in the Sheffield city region.

"As well as supporting businesses to access to our talented graduates, we want to work within those companies and help with their own people development through the newly developed Degree Apprenticeships funded by the Apprenticeship Levy.

"These roadshows aim to show businesses we don't yet work with the range of opportunities on offer to them to develop their talent and transform the way they do business and I'd encourage businesses of all sizes to come along and find out more."

SHU Business Gateway

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News: Brainbox Melvyn's grey matter leads to grey water solution

Melvyn Davenport, a talented plastic injection moulding specialist, has begun production of his new water-saving invention having secured funding from the Sheffield city region (SCR).

Melvyn, a keen gardener, had the bright idea of saving not just rainwater, but the "grey" water from showers and sinks, to re-use for the garden, toilet, and even for washing the car.

The idea became the "Watflo System", which has two parts: the "Brainbox" computer which controls water flowing simultaneously both into and out of an everyday garden water butt, through a two-way "diverter" pipe – another of his inventions. Saving and re-using both sources of water make it a unique product.

Brainbox displays the amount of water being used and saved, and in the future will be able to be monitored by an app from anywhere in the world. Since flushing the toilet in the average household can be up to 30% of total use, and hosepipes can use 1,000 litres an hour, that means a considerable financial saving for those who are metered. Baths, showers, dishwashers and washing machines can also be connected to the system.

Parts for Watflo Systems Ltd are made by companies in Doncaster and Rotherham and assembled in Wath.

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Melvyn has successfully secured £47,000 in grant funding through the Sheffield city region to the Business Investment Fund which has supported the tooling costs for the Brainbox.

Melvyn Davenport, inventor of the Watflo system, said: "I was very lucky to have the help of Henry Murch, the City Region Access to Finance Advisor. He was highly experienced and able to help me overcome a range of issues that needed resolving, and was infinitely patient. I can't thank him enough!

"Watflo wouldn't be in existence if it weren't for the SCR funding."

Further design and packaging work for the podlike Brainbox was done with Sheffield Hallam University's Design Futures group, and the system has been patented.

Melvyn now has a five-year agreement for worldwide distribution to market Watflo with a major company in the renewables market, demonstrating that there is a big market for the idea.

Davenport added: "While the key benefit in the UK is savings on water bills, in countries with water shortages the system could massively save water consumption and significantly improve the quality of life for many people."

Dave Grimes, head of the City Region Growth Hub, added: "This region has a strong business ethic – we grab each opportunity and make the most of it, whatever the size of the company, whatever its sector and whatever its ambition. We do this daily with regional and international business partners alike."

Key account and business growth managers from Rotherham Investment & Development Office (RiDO) have supported Melvyn since 2014. Jon Denton provided support with developing marketing strategy, sales techniques and apprenticeships; Sue Harrison referred Watflo to the Access to Finance Centre of Excellence and Finance for Enterprise regarding start-up loans, and Mike Stanley introduced Melvyn to the Northern Powerhouse Investment Team.

Last year Watflo, scooped the prestigious Gold award at the biannual Waterwise UK Water Efficiency Product Awards.

Watflo website
SCR Growth Hub website

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News: Waverley development to include "active environment"

The community being created at the Waverley development in Rotherham is set to become a trailblazing hub of physical activity as a result of an innovative partnership between Sheffield Hallam University and Harworth Group plc.

Approved in 2010, the largest, most complex, planning application ever considered by Rotherham Council gave outline approval for South Yorkshire's largest ever brownfield development, creating a new 3,890 home community across 741 acres of the former Orgreave coking works site. It also includes the world-renowned Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

Land-owners and developers, Harworth, has secured a funding boost of £30,000 from Innovate UK and will work a team of experts from across the University to incorporate physical activity opportunities into the daily lives of those living and working at Waverley.

Academics with backgrounds in sport and health will work with the Harworth's developers to design an "active environment" at Waverley. The project, which has been part-funded by Harworth and the University, will take ideas put forward during workshops with residents and employees exploring how space and facilities around the site can be utilised to create opportunities for people to become more active.

These workshops will allow designers to develop an active environment prototype which, once implemented, will form a benchmark for similar development sites across the country.

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The work follows from staff at the AMP taking part in in-depth consultation around the University's Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) on the site of the former Don Valley stadium.

Professor Steve Haake, director of Sheffield Hallam's AWRC, said "The property development market currently lacks innovation or focus on physical activity which makes this a really exciting opportunity. In partnership with Harworth, the project will make Waverley an exemplar for how development can be undertaken to enhance wider social and economic benefits.

"If we get this right, then the quality of life of the residents and workers on the site will improve, as will the development of the site itself. Developers across the country could look to this in years to come as the first site where physical activity has been integrated into a development like this."

Duncan Armstrong-Payne, associate director of major projects at Harworth Group, added: "A key part of Waverley's ongoing development is creating quality open spaces and leisure facilities to meet the increasing needs of those living there or working at the AMP. This is a really exciting partnership and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can deliver."

Harworth Group website

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News: Survey provides invaluable insight to address skills gap

Access to skilled labour remains a major concern for Sheffield city region (SCR) businesses according to the latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES), run by the region's Chambers of Commerce.

The results give a regular snapshot of how business is faring and are used to influence decision-makers to provide the right support structures to help boost local growth, jobs and the economy.

A consistent trend each quarter is that while over half of manufacturing and service firms have tried to recruit and the majority expect to increase their workforce in the near future, they experience difficulties in finding the right candidates for the roles.

Results showed that the main reason for 46% of firms failing to recruit in the last 12 months was due to candidates lacking the necessary skills, especially for skilled manual and technical jobs and managerial and professional roles. Additionally, nearly 20% of firms reported a lack of qualifications also being a primary factor. Over 50% of firms however were willing to invest in training.

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Sir. Nigel Knowles, Chair for Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: "We know that in the region we have an amazing pool of willing and conscientious employees. But it's no secret that more, and perhaps more up-to-date, skills are needed to underpin the growth that is emerging. We are tackling the shortages that businesses tell us are hampering growth in the region.

"Armed with the invaluable insight provided by Chamber members via the Quarterly Economic Survey we will be able to work on ways to help fill the skills gap, and to ensure work candidates and employees can get the training they need and want. It's what we all want to see.

"Employees are drawn to the bright lights and lifestyle of other cities after a couple of years in their first job, but it’s time for businesses to shout about the attractions of the region and doing business here to make it more appealing to them."

The survey showed that in both sectors, the main staff incentives offered by both sectors are additional personal and professional development training and bonuses for hitting targets.

Over the last 12 months, 80% of manufacturing firms and 68% of service firms awarded pay rises with more intending to award them in line with inflation over the next year. Additionally, a high proportion of firms in both sectors reported that the main incentives they offer to recruit candidates and retain staff are personal and professional development training and bonuses for hitting targets.

Prof. Andrew Simson from Sheffield University Management School, who analysed the responses, said: "The results of the Quarterly Economic Survey for the Sheffield City Region in the second quarter of 2017 show an encouraging and mainly positive continuation from last quarter.

"Business sales continue to grow and the expectation over the next three months is still positive for both domestic and international trade. Price pressures remain in the region's economy, with the effects of Brexit and raw material costs and exchange rates continuing to be of concern to manufacturing companies."

SCR Economy website

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