The Cutlers - Freemen and Friends

News and Press releases

The Cutlers’ Company curriculum. Posted 8 May, 2012

  Launch at the Cutlers' Hall. 

SCHOOLS in the north of Sheffield have been selected to take part in the Cutlers’ Company’s Curriculum project which begins this summer.
Bradfield School, Stocksbridge High School and Yewlands Technology College are to take part in the pilot project which runs for the full academic year, with more schools joining in as the scheme progresses.
It is being run in collaboration with Sheffield City Council, Business and Education South Yorkshire and Work-Wise with a view to preparing young people for work.

Businesses of Freemen of the Cutlers’ Company will provide mentors and every student taking part will receive a Made in Sheffield passport outlining their progress on the scheme. They will also be guaranteed an interview for a job on completion.   Academic qualifications remain unaffected. The aim of the initiative is to provide school leavers with an additional skills-set based on the needs of business - the ability to absorb and act on information as well as time keeping, a sense of purpose, presentation skills and an understanding of workplace requirements. 

At the launch, which was attended by the Master Cutler, the chairman of the Company’ s education committee, Doug Liversidge, the immediate past Master Professor Bill Speirs, Sheffield Council leader Julie Dore and representatives from all the schools,  the head teachers signed MoUs [Memoranda of Understanding]as formal acceptance of their participation in the scheme.

“The Cutlers’ Company has a long tradition of support for education,” said Pam Liversidge, the Master Cutler. “In the very early years Freemen were required to ensure their apprentices could read and write. During the past 80 years we have made a series of annual awards to trainees in the steel industry. In addition, individual Freemen have close links with schools across the region.
“We have now formally established a committee to ensure this education initiative lasts well into the future.  It has also given me a platform from which to voice my personal desire to improve the employment prospects of those who choose not to go on to university.”

She also thanked the members of the education committee, Sheffield City Council, Business and Education South Yorkshire and Work-Wise. “Over the past few months we have demonstrated partnership working at its best,” she added.

Top photo:  The Master Cutler, Mrs Pamela Liversidge with Staff and Pupils from the schools which will pilot the Cutlers’ Curriculum next year, Yewlands Technology College, Stocksbridge High School and Bradfield School.

Ohter photographs :  Pam Liversidge, The Master Cutler, with Ryan Hodgkinson and Ruby Woodhouse from Yewlands Technical College; Danielle Solomon and Alex Hanneman  from Bradfield School; Jack Croft and OliviaAllen from Stocksbridge High School.

The Cutlers’ Company curriculum launch.  Posted 13 April, 2012.

THE Cutlers’ Company discussions with schools, colleges and manufactures regarding the need to prepare young people for the world of work are about to be translated into positive action.  Now, in co-operation with Sheffield City Council, Business and Education South Yorkshire and Work Wise, we are taking a pro-active stance in schools, mentoring the workforce of the future through The Cutlers’ Curriculum.

The scheme, which begins in September 2012, will be formally launched at the Cutlers’ Hall on April 20 at 10am when the three schools participating in the pilot project will be announced.  GCSEs and academic qualifications remain unaffected. The aim of the initiative is to provide school leavers with an additional skills-set based on the needs of business - the ability to absorb and act on information as well as time keeping, a sense of purpose, presentation skills and an understanding of workplace procedures.

“We are delighted that the months of discussion have resulted in a positive outcome,” said Pam Livesidge, the Master Cutler. “All the schools approached were keen to take part. At this early stage we have selected just three but more will join once the scheme is up and running.

“Our fostering of young talent and enthusiasm is not new. Many Freemen of the Cutlers’ Company take an active role in apprenticeships - Forgemasters and DavyMarkham being two of the best known - and many will now act as mentors in our pilot scheme.”

For further information please contact Colonel G A Kilburn, Clerk to the Company, on 0114 272 8456.

Journalists and photographers are welcome to attend by prior arrangement only.

Britain must 'raise its game' says Minister at Global Manufacturing Festival.  Posted 23 March 2012

Britain needs to “raise its game” to make sure it is not left behind by emerging markets around the world, according to Jeremy Browne MP, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  Mr Browne was speaking at the Global Manufacturing Festival’s Convention and Trade show at Sheffield City Hall.

He said: “There’s a revolution taking place in the world and we choose to be wilfully neglectful of how the revolution will affect us. The world’s economy is set to expand rapidly and we need new alliances and better understandings with more countries.
“Our economy will grow, but we’ll be getting richer at a slower rate than other areas of the world. The UK and Europe’s share of the global economy will be smaller. We are not seizing the opportunities which exist, we need to look globally and encourage more countries to be open to British investment.
“The UK needs to raise its game to make ourselves more competitive on a global market. We can be globally competitive as we have strengths which are recognised around the world in many important sectors.
“The Foreign Office is strengthening links with emerging markets and the coalition Government is working to ensure we have a competitive business environment, competitive tax regimes and a competitive infrastructure.”

The Convention and Trade show saw presentations from Lee Hopley from EEF, Chris Squires at EDF, Andrew Peters from Siemens Drive Technologies, Sir Chris O'Donnell former CEO of Smith & Nephew, Ric Parker of Rolls-Royce, Dr. Alan McLelland at NAMTEC and Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing.

There were also case-studies from Harry Hutchinson, HGF Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys and Dr Edward Draper, from Sheffield-based manufacturer JRI Orthopaedics Ltd.

The Global Manufacturing Festival, which was organised by Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Marketing Sheffield, ran over two days and attracted more than 2,000 people to a range of activities.  Events included the Get Up To Speed – Skills and Education Show, which brought together young people, schools, parents and students with local engineering and manufacturing businesses.

Sir Roger Bone, President of Boeing UK, delivered a management lecture, organised by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, while Made in Sheffield staged their annual awards dinner at the Cutlers’ Hall, with Dr Karl-Ulrich Köhler, managing director and chief executive of Tata Steel Europe the keynote speaker.

The festival, sponsored by Nabarro LLP, NatWest, University of Sheffield and Siemens Plc, was the second to take place in Sheffield since its creation a year ago.

Richard Wright, executive director of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, said: “We were delighted with the festival as it achieved most of the objectives we had set ourselves against what is a five-year plan to stage the event in Sheffield.
“Attendances were as good as last year and we increased the number of people from outside the region, attracting delegates from four countries around the world.
“Every event was better than last year and we are already working with national bodies in planning for 2013. There were great points discussed, there were things to learn. We want to thank the hard work that everybody put into the four events and the sponsors that made it possible - we are all backing this city and its future and it is great to see "Team Sheffield" in action."

Brendan Moffett, director of Marketing Sheffield said "The festival is an ambitious project that needs to build year on year so that Sheffield City Region becomes the centre of UK manufacturing in everybody's mind. We have a five-year plan and we are going to deliver it. Bring on 2013!"