Skills Street boost on its way to help future job seekers

More than 200 business leaders and educators from across the region met to officially launch plans for South Yorkshire’s Skills Street at a business breakfast event.

Based on the site of Gulliver’s Valley theme park and supported by the Levelling Up Fund, Skills Street 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.

Described as an “an immersive and innovative careers training experience”, Skills Street will allow children from primary age to experience workplace envirronments in everything banking to baking and music to manufacturing and older students and adults to take part in training in realistic settings.

Julie Dalton, managing director of Gulliver’s Valley said: “This project will be amazing because it is a collaborative project and from day one, we’ve been asking and listening.

“Businesses are telling us about the challenges they face, and this year has been particularly challenging across all sectors in terms of recruiting staff with the right skills to do the job and that is why Skills Street is so important to help us to move forward.”

John Barber, chief of the Work-wise Foundation said: “Skills Street will not only inspire our young people as they are shown the amazing world of work and career opportunities available in the South Yorkshire area, it will do this in a fun and exciting way.”

Natalie Doherty, director of quality, curriculum and innovation at The Source Academy, said: “It simply can’t come soon enough — our young people need and deserve this resource and our businesses will benefit hugely.”

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

The project is part of a £20million investment secured by Rotherham Council to improve the leisure economy and skills.