How Skills Street will provide a boost for South Yorkshire's economy

The project, supported by the Levelling Up Fund, will be based on the site of the UK’s newest theme park, Gulliver’s Valley.

Skills Street will transform the way the region delivers work related experiences and training for young people, schools, families, and educators. The new hands-on approach to developing, growing, and honing skills has the aim of inspiring and informing children, young people and adults about the world of work and careers.

This interactive centre will be delivered by a partnership between Gulliver’s Valley Theme Park, The Work-wise Foundation and The Source Skills Academy, creating a Centre of Excellence to learn about the world of work across all sectors and industries.

The collaborative project will deliver a fully immersive street that will feature local businesses providing work experience and skills for individuals from the ages of 5 to adulthood.

South Yorkshire is a home to some amazing organisations, and the Skills Street team are looking forward to working with them to showcase this new engaging, innovative experience developed to inspire and inform children, young people, and adults from across the region.

Skills Street will inspire our young people as they are shown the amazing world of work and career opportunities available in the South Yorkshire area. The skills will be delivered in a fun and exciting way with a team of edutainers bringing the opportunities to life and showcase the opportunities on offer and skills needed to succeed.

This really is going to be amazing for our region and is one of the most exciting projects to happen in the field of skills and careers for young people in South Yorkshire for a long time.

Construction is expected to begin in 2023 with the aim of opening Skills Street the same year.

The project is part of a £20 million pound investment secured by Rotherham Council to help improve the leisure economy and skills in Rotherham. Other attractions also benefiting from the Leveling Up funding include Wentworth Woodhouse, Thrybergh Country Park, Rother Valley Country Park, Magna and Maltby Learning Trust.

On Skills Street children and young people will be able to walk into a bank and learn about the different roles and skills needed to work in the financial sector, or step into an engineering environment and have a go at designing or making a product. retail shops will enable customer service and money taking skills to be practiced and

leisure and hospitality outlets will demonstrate the skills needed to succeed in these careers – all through hands on play, practice and performance.

This is a true partnership and each of the partners brings something different to Skills Street. At The Source, we are involved in Skills Street because we believe in the young people of South Yorkshire and we believe that we can support business to drive and support curriculum, work experience and have a real say in the education

of young people. Skills Street will be an amazing space where individuals, families, schools and the community will be able to explore the great opportunities for careers and training in the region in a relaxed and informal setting.

To find out more about Skills Street visit https://skills-street.co.uk/

Natalie Doherty is the Director of Quality, Curriculum and Innovation, Source Academy.