Care workers, builders and returning mothers to learn practical AI skills in national pilot

Care workers, builders and mothers returning to work are to be taught practical AI skills in a government-backed pilot that ministers hope will become a blueprint for training workers across the country, including in cities like Birmingham.

Four training projects in Barnsley, the UK's first "Tech Town", will share more than £800,000 from the AI Upskilling Challenge Fund, announced on Tuesday 3 November.

Four projects, four kinds of worker

Barnsley College will take mobile AI training units directly to hospital and social care staff and the wider community, offering practical taster sessions to build confidence and support career progression.

Atheni will help 140 people, most of them aged 40 or over, at six manufacturing, engineering and construction firms. They will use AI tools shaped around each company's own documents to help with quotes, tenders and safety paperwork.

Fossu (Ignite AI), working with Barnsley YMCA, Postnatal Minds and the local Chamber of Commerce, will run challenge-based programmes and "buildathons" for 100 residents, helping women returning to work and young people use AI to solve real problems for local businesses.

Optimise Cyber Solutions, with Abbeydale Training, will support 20 small businesses to adopt AI safely and effectively, with a focus on developing the next generation of female AI leaders.

"The government will not leave people to navigate this new era alone"

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."

He added: "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."

Kate Dearden, Minister for the Future of Work, said: "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."

A test bed for the country

Barnsley was named the UK's first Tech Town in February. Working with schools, colleges, employers and the NHS, the programme is designed to find approaches that work and could be rolled out nationwide.

Councillor Luke Wheat, Barnsley Council's Cabinet spokesperson for Regeneration and Assets, said: "We'll learn from what works here in Barnsley and share that with others."

Why Birmingham should watch

Birmingham has some of the same mix of workers the pilot is aimed at: a large health and care workforce, a big construction and manufacturing base, and thousands of small businesses. If the Barnsley projects show that short, practical training works, the approach could be used much more widely.

In the meantime, people in Birmingham who want to build their own digital and AI skills can ask at local colleges and libraries about free courses, many of which are open to adults of any age.