What was the problem?
Sheffield’s economy was highly dependent on steel and related manufacturing until the industry’s drammatic decline in the 1980s. In 1961, almost 70% of male workers in the city worked in well-paid manual professions, hence most children left school as soon as possible to take advantage of the available jobs. By 1970, Sheffield had a larger proportion of its population with no education beyond the age of 15 than any other major English city.
Since the 1980s however, most of these low-skilled manufacturing jobs have disappeared. Unemployment in the city reached 15.5% in 1984. Many of Sheffield’s manual workers remain unemployed and the proportion of current Sheffield’s working age population with no qualifications remains above the national average. In addition, a growing population of asylum seekers has arrived in Sheffield since the 1980s and many lack the basic skills (eg. language and IT) to access new jobs.
Industrial decline
has led to areas of
urban neglect
By 1999 Sheffield was the 14th poorest Local Authority. 30% of its households lived in the top 10% of the UK’s most deprived wards. It was time for the Council to take significant action.
Topics associated with this project
Economy, Training, Yorkshire and Humber