Expansion of business support scheme to inject £7m in Sheffield City Region economy

The talent retention and business support scheme ‘RISE’ is being rolled out across Sheffield City Region and is set to boost the local economy by £7m over the next three years.

RISE, initially a partnership between Sheffield Hallam University, The University of Sheffield, and Sheffield City Council, was launched in 2013 to support small and medium sized enterprises in the recruitment of staff, create jobs and retain graduates in the region.

RISE is now set to roll out to cover all nine local authority areas in Sheffield City Region (SCR).

The newly created SCR Growth Hub has become a major partner in the scheme, securing RISE until 2019 and giving thousands more SMEs the opportunity to benefit from recruiting graduate talent.

RISE has already seen more than 200 graduates placed into paid internships over the last three years, across more than 150 companies.

The roll-out of RISE across the region means a further 250 interns will be placed over the next three years, with at least 150 of these placements becoming permanent posts. This will result in an economic impact for the region of up to £7m.

So far, RISE has helped businesses in a wide range of sectors including digital, engineering, manufacturing, technology, recruitment and HR.

Sir Nigel Knowles, chair of the Sheffield City Region LEP, said: “RISE is about connecting the region’s network of innovative and exciting businesses to talented graduates with energy, enthusiasm and fresh ideas. The development and retention of skills are crucial to the growth of our business community. RISE will support this objective, so it really is a win-win situation for all parties and we are really pleased that it is being rolled out further across the city region.”

Cllr Leigh Bramall, Sheffield City Council deputy leader and cabinet member for business and economy, added: “RISE has been fantastic for Sheffield and it is great to see this being pushed out across the wider city region. Sheffield sees 21,000 people graduating from two world class universities ever year. We have 14,500 SMEs in the city but as is the nature of these businesses, there often isn’t the time and resource to put into much needed recruitment. By matching these talented graduates to local businesses RISE has created jobs and SME growth, both essential to a thriving economy.”

Professor Sir Keith Burnett, CBE, FRS, vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, also commented: “The University of Sheffield is delighted to be a partner of the RISE programme for a further three years. RISE has provided many of our graduates with high-quality roles in fantastic local businesses over the past few years and its expansion into the Sheffield City Region promises to deliver further opportunities for both SMEs and graduates, whilst supporting economic growth in our region.”

Rob Cole, director of Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens, one of the companies who have benefitted from RISE, concluded: “When I approached RISE, our business was expanding and I needed an extra pair of hands to do CAD work and alleviate pressure on other members of staff.

“We were getting more and more requests for quotes, so it was really important to expand the design team. I wanted someone with fresh ideas and proper training in the right software, which our graduates have provided.”