[4] It provides academic, technical and vocational training for school leavers and adults from across the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority region.

The college is the sole provider of post-16 education in the north of Sheffield, following the abolition of traditional sixth-forms in 1988[5] by the tertiary system.

[9] The college offers a variety of courses at the following levels:[10] The college offers courses in the following subjects: Animal care, Automotive engineering, aviation, tourism & events, business, catering & hospitality, childcare & education, civil engineering, construction & building trades, design & visual arts, engineering, ESOL, games design, hair & beauty, health & social care, inclusion, IT & computing, land-based studies, medial, journalism & photography, performing arts & music, science, dental & pharmacy, sport, taxi driving and uniformed public services.

[12] In October 2012, the college launched an online Human Trafficking Uncovered course, the first of its kind designed for those working in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

[13] In December 2014, singer JB Gill was recruited by the college as the public face of a two-year vocational performing arts course.

[14] In September 2012, the closure of a press photographers' course raised concerns about the future of regional newspaper staff photography.

[16] In 2010,[17] Sheffield City College underwent a £60 million rebuild programme to create an environmentally-friendly, single-site campus.

[20] In June 2001, the college announced plans to replace two of its centres, based at Parson Cross and in Loxley, with a single campus in Hillsborough that would serve 1,800 students across the north of Sheffield.

[30] A second, produced in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, saw the unveiling of a £10 million college in September 2016, based on the site of the former Don Valley Stadium.

After poor results in its 2017 and subsequent OFSTED inspections it transferred to the Sheffield UTC Academy Trust and focused in engineering, later added a specialism in life sciences in 2020.