New technology

Yorkshire and skills revolution

THE SUCCESS of world renowned companies like Sky Betting & Gaming and Boeing illustrates the extent to which Yorkshire’s economy is reinventing itself thanks to the presence of these two firms here.

They’re just two examples of the dynamic work taking place to ensure that Yorkshire, a county which powered the first Industrial Revolution, is also at the forefront of global changes in the use technology.

Their importance should not be understated. More people now work at the Advanced Manufacturing Park between Sheffield and Rotherham, home to Boeing and other engineering giants like Rolls Royce, than at the time when this landmark site was home to Orgreave colliery.

Yet, while this site is testament to Yorkshire’s manufacturing heritage, the rise of Sky Betting & Gaming, and Ian Proctor’s appointment as the firm’s new CEO, is indicative of the new dominance of digital technology. The firm already employs 1,500 people in Yorkshire and this number will only grow.

However, while these firms operate in different spheres of new technology, they do have one thing in common – skills and the need to recruit the next generation of staff and apprentices who can build on these firm foundations.

To their credit, both Boeing – and Sky Betting & Gaming – are committed to recruiting locally and continue to make important contributions to a skills debate which is just as important as Brexit. And, from a schools and careers point of view, these are precisely the type of firms that students should be aspiring to join, hence the need for an even closer partnership between education and business.