Employment and skills service

If you’re out-of-work and seeking a job or apprenticeship in Sheffield, we can offer practical support and advice.

We commission specialist employment support projects to help those facing challenges such as:

• long-term economic inactivity or unemployment
• poor physical or mental health
• learning difficulties and Autism
• language and/or cultural barriers
• refugee status
• criminal records
• a lack of accommodation
• care or childcare responsibilities
• experience of living in local authority care
• a lack of qualifications or work experience

Our keyworkers can support you with CV-writing, job searching and interview preparation. To meet one, get in touch with opportunity@sheffield.gov.uk.

You can meet your keyworker at our community venues. These are located across the city.

Each month, we run short, industry-specific training courses. These are designed to help out-of-work people secure employment in industries where there are high numbers of vacancies.

Our sector routeways lead to sustainable jobs in areas such as:

• construction
• manufacturing and warehousing
• early years education
• adult social care
• business administration
• hospitality

Our bootcamp-style training courses include initial classroom study. This is where you’ll gain the qualifications needed to get on-site and active in the workplace.

You then can undertake a one or two-week work placement with a local employer in your sector of choice. This will lead to a job or apprenticeship. Get in touch with sectorrouteways@sheffield.gov.uk.

If you’re in work and aiming to progress further or change your career, we can help you upskill or reskill.

Our training brokers can:

• identify relevant courses
• identify qualifications
• secure funding to support your learning 
• support professional development

We can also advise on accredited and non-accredited training along with other opportunities to advance in the workplace.

If you’re thinking about advancing in work or switching careers, we can offer information, advice and guidance on a range of industry sectors and potential job opportunities.

We can help sharpen up your skills in areas such as job searching, CV-writing and interviewing to increase your chances of landing your desired job.

Email advance@sheffield.gov.uk.

If you’re a local employer, we can assist with both staff training and recruitment.

Our advisors can do a training needs analysis of your organisation and use this to create a workforce development plan for you.

We can also navigate the skills programmes, funding and grant schemes that exist and suggest upskilling, reskilling and professional development opportunities.

If you’re looking to hire, we can connect you with a large pool of jobseekers across the city.

If you want to give back to your community as part of your corporate social responsibilities, we can support you in:

• recruiting an apprentice
• offering work experience
• volunteering placements
• engaging with a local school

Get in touch with opportunity@sheffield.gov.uk.

We work with schools across Sheffield to inform pupils about post-16 and post-18 opportunities, such as:

• apprenticeships
• T-Levels
• traineeships
• entry into the world of work

Each year, our Apprenticeships: Be Inspired Careers Fair connects around 1,000 young people who are considering an apprenticeship with up to 100 employers. We allow them to meet in-person to discuss industry options, career paths and upcoming vacancies.

We co-ordinate work experience placements for many local schools. This ensures young people have the chance to develop employability skills in the workplace. This includes traditional work experience and project-based employer interactions.

For work experience support: workexperience@sheffield.gov.uk.

For apprenticeship support: apprenticeshipready@sheffield.gov.uk.

Green Skills are increasingly important in the workplace. Businesses consider their environmental impact and as job roles and responsibilities evolve on the journey to Net Zero.

We can help introduce you to the training needed to reskill your workforce. Not just to futureproof jobs and career paths but also meet ever-increasing demand for specialist skills. This can ensure profitability and sustainability within a low-carbon economy.

We are creating opportunities for local people to gain core skills in emerging sectors and innovative technologies by working in partnership with local industries, educators and the training sector.

Contact advance@sheffield.gov.uk.

We aim to maximise the social and economic value of Local Authority activities provided by organisations that we work with. This could be through creating and supporting:

• jobs
• work experience
• training
• apprenticeships

We encourage organisations who are bidding for Council contracts to pledge additional community investment. For example by creating apprenticeships, offering training or working with local schools.

We then help suppliers deliver on their employment and skills commitments by introducing them to local partners and services.

We aim to ensure this brings true added value for Sheffield residents by providing opportunities that otherwise would not have existed. Contact stephen.arundel@sheffield.gov.uk for more information.