Agenda item

That this Council:-

(a)       welcomes news that construction has begun on a University Technical College for Sheffield, one of only 18 across the country;

(b)       believes the University Technical College will provide vital training and skills for the next generation of Sheffielders, helping to tackle the chronic long-term problems of youth unemployment;

(c)        thanks the Coalition Government for providing the financial backing for the College, delivering a grant of £9.9 million;

(d)       praises companies such as Siemens Metals Technologies who have thrown their support behind the important project; and

(e)       recommends a joint meeting of the Children, Young People and Family Support and the Economic and Environmental Wellbeing Scrutiny Committees to undertake a detailed examination to understand what further support the Council can provide to the development of the College.

It was moved by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, seconded by Councillor Andrew Sangar, that this Council:-

(a)       welcomes news that construction has begun on a University Technical College for Sheffield, one of only 18 across the country;

(b)       believes the University Technical College will provide vital training and skills for the next generation of Sheffielders, helping to tackle the chronic long-term problems of youth unemployment;

(c)        thanks the Coalition Government for providing the financial backing for the College, delivering a grant of £9.9 million;

(d)       praises companies such as Siemens Metals Technologies who have thrown their support behind the important project; and

(e)       recommends a joint meeting of the Children, Young People and Family Support and the Economic and Environmental Wellbeing Scrutiny Committees to undertake a detailed examination to understand what further support the Council can provide to the development of the College.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Jackie Drayton, seconded by Councillor Leigh Bramall, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.         the deletion of paragraph (c) and the addition of a new paragraph (c) as follows:-

(c)        however regrets that wider Government policy is changing focus away from vocational education, which is demonstrated through cutting the value of more than 3,100 vocational qualifications, cuts to support for vocational education services and cuts to funding to support work experience placements;

2.         the addition of a new paragraph (e) as follows and the relettering of the original paragraph (e) as a new paragraph (f):-

(e)       welcomes the work of all local partners to secure the University Technical College and supports the present Administration’s continued focus on skills through creating the Sheffield Apprenticeship Programme and 4,000 apprentices through the City Deal;

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

(Note: The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Vickie Priestley) and Councillors Simon Clement Jones, Shaffaq Mohammed, Rob Frost, Sylvia Anginotti, Joe Otten, Penny Baker, Diana Stimely, Roger Davison, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Janice Sidebottom, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland,Anders Hanson,  Katie Condliffe, David Baker, Alison Brelsford and Trevor Bagshaw voted for Paragraphs (a), (b), (d), (e) and (f) and against Paragraph (c) of the Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)