An Employment & Skills Strategy is being developed for Sheffield, with KADA Research and Ekosgen appointed to deliver the project.
The consultant organisations will work in partnership to conduct research, engage widely with stakeholders and produce the strategy, having emerged successful from a competitive tender process co-ordinated by Sheffield City Council (SCC) on behalf of the Sheffield Employment & Skills Advisory Board (SESAB).
KADA Research and Ekosgen have been commissioned to deliver a co-created, city-level strategy which reflects the views and input of stakeholders, relevant partners, businesses and communities.
The consultants previously worked in partnership to deliver Sheffield's Economic Evidence Base, or Local Economic Assessment, as part of the City Goals project.
The Sheffield Employment & Skills Strategy will be adopted by SCC's Economic Development and Skills Committee. To ensure strategic alignment, the Committee will appoint a Member Task and Finish Group of cross-party Members to direct SESAB and the consultants.
Stakeholder consultations will take place in Spring 2024, with the final strategy scheduled to be published in the Autumn, allowing adoption by stakeholder organisations across the city.
The Sheffield Employment & Skills Strategy will deliver:
- A long-term, clear vision which acknowledges the major challenges we face now and are likely to face in the future. To include longer-terms aims and objectives, with milestones
- A detailed 5-year roadmap which states priorities, outlines actions assigned to stakeholders and sets SMART targets as the first step towards delivering on the vision
- A 'live' dashboard from the baseline work to monitor the delivery of the strategy and achievements against project objectives.
About the consultants
KADA Research is a UK and international economic development consultancy founded in 2011 providing social and economic research, analysis, and advice to the public, private and non-profit sectors. Its expertise includes strategy development, research studies and economic analysis having undertaken wide-ranging assignments for LAs, Combined Authorities, LEPs, education providers, business support and VCSE organisations, including employment and skills strategies and skills funding bids. KADA has worked extensively in Sheffield and South Yorkshire.
Ekosgen, established in 2002, provides economic and social research, analysis and consultancy advice. Ekosgen specialises in evidence-based strategy development. This includes employment and skills, economic, and sector focused strategies, as well as wider economic narratives, investment prospectuses and masterplans. Ekosgen's knowledge and expertise has been developed through its wider core offer of project development, case making and evaluation.
About SESAB
Sheffield Employment & Skills Advisory Board (SESAB) is a partnership of anchor stakeholders, established in March 2023 to strengthen local governance and strategic planning in the city's Employment & Skills sector.
Functions of the board include setting the ambition for Sheffield around Employment and Skills, agreeing priorities which are aligned to the regional and local context, existing strategies and place-based plans, and agreeing key partnerships required to driving delivery. This involves reviewing economic intelligence and evidence of economic performance and identifying opportunities to accelerate growth and employment.
SESAB aims to influence national and regional government's policies, priorities and funding opportunities to meet the needs identified for Sheffield. The board seeks a shared understanding of the activities in Sheffield, recognising good practice and strong partnerships and seeking to expand these or develop programmes to fill gaps.
