The Yorkshire town leading the UK’s AI hopes

The government has announced that £800,000 in funding will be given to the Yorkshire town of Barnsley with the goal of bringing practical AI skills to workers.

Barnsley was named the UK’s first Tech Town in February, as an example of how AI can improve everyday life through better public services, stronger local businesses and new opportunities for jobs and skills

The £800,000 in funding will be split across four key initiatives:

Barnsley College is taking mobile AI training units directly to hospital and social care staff and the wider community, offering practical taster sessions that build confidence and support career progression.
Atheni will help 140 people, most aged 40 or over, across six manufacturing, engineering and construction firms in Barnsley. They’ll use AI shaped around each company’s documents and shared trade context, to help with quotes, tenders and safety paperwork.
Fossu (Ignite AI), with Barnsley YMCA, Postnatal Minds and Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, will run challenge-led programmes and buildathons for 100 residents, helping women returning to work and young people use AI to solve real problems facing local businesses and communities.
Optimise Cyber Solutions, in partnership with Abbeydale Training, will support twenty small businesses across Barnsley to adopt AI safely, confidently and effectively. Combining their expertise in training, digital skills and responsible AI adoption, the partnership will help businesses move beyond basic AI awareness to practical workplace implementation, improving productivity while prioritising the development of the next generation of female AI leaders.

By bringing central and local government together, it returns power to local communities and ensures AI training is designed directly around unique economic needs, said AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said.

I know people are worried about what AI could mean for their careers. As this technology changes workplaces, the government will not leave people to navigate this new era alone.

“The schemes we are backing in Barnsley will help set the standard for how we equip people from all walks of life with the skills and confidence they need. By working in partnership with businesses and communities, we are ensuring AI empowers workers, is shaped around local economic opportunities, and builds a future where everyone shares in the rewards,” he said.

Minister for the Future of Work, Kate Dearden, added that AI is already changing the way people work, and successful adoption depends on workers having the skills and confidence to be part of that change.

“Whether you’re a care worker, a builder or a small business owner, it’s important that people understand how AI could change their work and have the skills to help shape how it is used.

“That’s why we’re backing projects like this pilot in Barnsley, which will provide practical training shaped around local businesses, their workforces and the needs of the local economy.”