The government's AI Upskilling Challenge Fund is awarding £800,000 to AI skills training project in Barnsley.
Frontline care staff, builders, and mothers returning to work across Barnsley are all set to benefit. The projects aim to bring practical, problem-solving tools directly to hospital wards, construction sites, and small businesses.
Hands-on training will be delivered by four organisations. This will focus on practical outcomes that save time, boost confidence and improve employability.
Barnsley College will take mobile AI training units to hospital and social care staff and the wider community. They will offer practical taster sessions that build confidence and support career progression.
140 people, most aged 40 or over, working at six manufacturing, engineering and construction firms in Barnsley will use AI shaped around each company’s documents and shared trade context, to help with quotes, tenders and safety paperwork.
The third project, Fossu (Ignite AI), with Barnsley YMCA, Postnatal Minds and Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, will run challenge-led programmes and buildathons for 100 residents. This aims to help women returning to work and young people use AI to solve real problems facing local businesses and communities.
Finally, Optimise Cyber Solutions, in partnership with Abbeydale Training, will support twenty small businesses across Barnsley to adopt AI safely, confidently and effectively. 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.
The projects are part of the Barnsley Tech Town initiative.
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."
Minister for the Future of Work, Kate Dearden, said: "AI is already changing the way we 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."
