Four new training projects will help people across Barnsley develop practical AI skills after receiving more than £800,000 from the government’s AI Upskilling Challenge Fund.
The local initiatives will focus their support on specific segments of the population, such as frontline care workers and mothers returning to work, seeking to help them save time, improve their confidence and increase their employability.
This follows Barnsley being named the UK's first 'Tech Town' in February, establishing it as a testbed for AI initiatives that could eventually be replicated elsewhere in the country.
AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said that the schemes are intended to “set the standard for how we equip people from all walks of life with the skills and confidence they need”.
He 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 are being run primarily by four organisations including Barnsley College, which will be taking mobile AI units to health and social care staff as well as the wider community to help build confidence and support career progression, and Atheni, which will support 140 tradespeople, mainly aged 40 or over, from six local firms in using AI to help with quotes, tenders and safety paperwork.
In addition, Fossu (Ignite AI) will run challenge-led programmes and buildathons for 100 residents, including mothers returning to work and young people, in collaboration with Barnsley YMCA, Postnatal Minds and Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce.
Optimise Cyber Solutions will also support twenty small Barnsley businesses to use AI safely, effectively, and with confidence. This training, which will be hosted in partnership with Abbeydale Training, is claimed to put particular emphasis on encouraging “the development of the next generation of female AI leaders”.
The government states that the Tech Town initiative “returns power to local communities” by bringing central and local government together to work around the town’s economic needs.
Councillor Luke Wheat, Barnsley Council’s Cabinet spokesperson for Regeneration and Assets, said that Barnsley would ensure that “our communities across the borough share in the opportunities that growth brings”.
He said: “It’s about making sure new technology brings real benefits to people’s working lives.”
Other Tech Town projects include an AI Career Launchpad, which will offer six months of paid work placements and AI training, and “Getting Job Ready with AI” which helps jobseekers use AI to find suitable roles, tailor their applications, and prepare for interviews. In addition, another pilot is testing how AI could improve patient care, reduce missed appointments and cut administrative work for staff at Barnsley Hospital.
This comes as the government seeks to increase the AI capability of the UK’s workforce more widely. The government’s "AI Skills Boost" initiative aims to provide 10 million UK workers with training in key AI skills by 2030, while another project hopes to see 10,000 young people given work experience in the digital and tech sector over the next three years.
Last week’s Budget also announced £30 million in funding to support three of Yorkshire’s regional Mayors in deploying AI, a move which sought to build on the work undertaken in Barnsley.
Featured Image Credit: Ian S via Wikimedia Commons