LEP Board Members Nigel Brewster and Sheffield Council Chief Executive John Mothersole with Nick Clegg to mark the launch the City Deal at Sheffield College last year

The Government yesterday announced a £5million cash injection for Sheffield City Region to help young people into jobs.

The investment is from a pot of Government cash given to England’s major cities to invest over the next three years, with the aim of helping more than 25,000 young people into jobs that last.

Nigel Brewster, LEP Board Member and Managing Director at Brewster Pratap Recruitment Consultants, said:

“Today’s announcement about £5m for skills training is as good news for business as it is for young people.

“The Sheffield City Region LEP is squarely focused on economic growth – and this innovative programme will help give our businesses the skills they need to grow.

“Business leaders, myself included, have been working closely with councils and education providers to build this very specific programme aimed at matching young people with the right skills to meet the future needs of Sheffield City Region’s business.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said:

“Helping young people succeed is crucial to our economic recovery. That is why I am pleased to announce a Government investment of £5 million for Sheffield to help get more young people into jobs.

“This is a multi-million pound cash boost for the Sheffield City Region to invest in its young people and the future prosperity of the city, making our society fairer so that everyone has the chance to get on in life.

“Investment like this, paired with a determination to tackle youth unemployment by our great cities, has the genuine power to change the fortunes of young people across the region, whether it’s with extra training, improving education, or apprenticeships.”

Sheffield City Region was one of eight core cities and twenty wave two cities invited to submit proposals earlier this year for a share of up to £50m. The people behind the proposal had to prove they will be able to deliver innovative schemes explicitly designed to tackle the problem of youth unemployment.

The £5m will be used to offer intensive advisor and mentor-led support for young people in Sheffield, alongside a specialist training programme aimed at equipping young people with the right skills to match local employers’ needs.

We covered the announcement in today’s Business Live radio programme, which also included an interview with Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Chairman, James Newman.  More details and a link to the podcast are here.