Barnsley has been named the UK’s first “Tech Town” by the Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, who has written an op-ed in the Yorkshire Post to mark the occassion.
“People in Yorkshire are no stranger to change. This county has always been a cradle for invention and innovation,” Kendall gushed, as she explained how Barnsley can create a “trailblazing” hub for how artificial intelligence (AI) can improve everyday life.
The title means AI will be rolled out across public services such as in schools, colleges, businesses and the NHS in the Yorlshire town, althogh details were sparse and digits such as job creation stats non-existent.
Kendall said the town would act as a “national blueprint” for how technology could make life “easier, fairer and more prosperous in Barnsley”.
She went on: “If we can show that AI helps young people learn, supports local businesses to be more productive, and improves public services, then we can show what’s possible for the whole country.”
Firms backing the plans include Microsoft, Cisco and Adobe, which have pledged to support local people’s access to jobs of the future.
Kandall promised that the “full heft of the British state” will be firmly behind the town’s ambitions, but “led by local people, for local people.”
She added: “By fully embracing the opportunities offered by this new technology we can transform lives, businesses and services.
It could result in smoother NHS check-ins and faster triage at Barnsley Hospital, teachers using safe AI tools to improve pupils’ learning, and free AI and digital skills training for people of all ages, so no one is shut out of the jobs and opportunities of the future…
Barnsley is already ahead of the curve, thanks to local leaders and innovators who are harnessing technology’s potential, right now. This is one of the first councils to use AI to ease the paperwork burden on social care teams.”
Barnsley Council said there would be free AI and digital training made available to workers, through Barnsley College and the South Yorkshire Institute of Technology, while free courses will also be offered to residents seeking to expand their skills or considering a career change.
