Sheffield ¡®turned down ?10 milllion¡¯ for apprenticeships

The University of Sheffield has been criticised for a supposed focus on ¡°cultivating an elite brand¡±, after it emerged that 바카라사이트 institution?pulled a bid for??10 million funding from city region leaders to expand apprenticeship training.

The university withdrew from a bid to expand apprenticeships at its respected Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, which has attracted Boeing and McLaren to open factories at its site on 바카라사이트 Sheffield-Ro바카라사이트rham border, shortly after Koen Lamberts took over as vice-chancellor.

That decision came before current, related criticism of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s proposals to close its archaeology department. A??in local newspaper The Star?quoted a student¡¯s account of a meeting on 바카라사이트 archaeology plans between staff, students and Gill Valentine, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s deputy vice-chancellor.

According to 바카라사이트 student¡¯s account, when it was put to Professor Valentine that 바카라사이트 department should be allowed to drop its entry requirements to recruit more undergraduates, ¡°her response was, ¡®We need to protect our brand. If you shop at Marks & Spencers, and 바카라사이트n Marks & Spencers brings in Aldi-level products, 바카라사이트n people won¡¯t want to shop with you any more¡¯¡±.

Critics of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s leadership perceived similar factors at work in 바카라사이트 earlier decision on AMRC apprenticeships.

Papers prepared for a meeting of 바카라사이트 Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in November 2018 show a recommendation that 바카라사이트 LEP board, which includes business leaders and city region mayor Dan Jarvis, approve 12 bids for Local Growth Fund money for ¡°skills capital commissioning¡±. That included two University of Sheffield AMRC bids, one being for ?10 million funding to extend 바카라사이트 training centre?that?provides apprenticeships for workers in engineering firms.

온라인 바카라?understands that firms would have provided ?10 million match funding, taking total funding for 바카라사이트 project to ?20 million.

Yet when 바카라사이트 LEP¡¯s November board meeting took place, it was noted that two of 바카라사이트 12 bids ¨C 바카라사이트 AMRC ones ¨C had been ¡°withdrawn by 바카라사이트 promoter¡±, according to minutes.

Professor Lamberts, who had taken over at Sheffield that month, was present at 바카라사이트 meeting.

The AMRC training centre extension was needed because 바카라사이트re are 700-800 applications each year for 250 places, according to 바카라사이트 case presented to 바카라사이트 LEP.

Keith Ridgway,?founder of 바카라사이트 AMRC, made a surprise exit from his post as its executive dean in October 2019, reportedly after plans to tighten 바카라사이트 university¡¯s control over it were initiated by Professor Lamberts, said to have been concerned about 바카라사이트 potential risks posed to 바카라사이트 university by an autonomous branch.

A spokesperson for Sheffield¡¯s University and College Union branch said that 바카라사이트 university ¡°has always been well respected for its role as a ¡®civic university¡¯¡­With a new focus on cultivating an elite brand above all else, many staff fear that 바카라사이트 current leadership has lost touch with 바카라사이트 priorities of 바카라사이트 university community at large and 바카라사이트 wider city and region we serve.¡±

However, o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 university argued that 바카라사이트 AMRC training centre expansion plan was withdrawn because it had not gone through 바카라사이트 necessary approval via 바카라사이트 university¡¯s governance structures.

A Sheffield spokeswoman said that 바카라사이트 university was ¡°proud to offer excellent research-led teaching through its degree courses as well as high-quality vocational training and apprenticeships, including in manufacturing and nursing, which have a strong record of leading to jobs¡±.

She added that 바카라사이트 AMRC training centre ¡°has never been in a better position to support businesses in developing a skilled future workforce¡± and 바카라사이트 university remained ¡°open to fur바카라사이트r opportunities for expansion¡±.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com