South Yorkshire is a large conurbation in the north of England, made up of two towns, Barnsley and Rotherham, and the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield. The region has shifted from carbon-intensive manufacturing to service-based industries and a growing green technology sector. South Yorkshire’s outstanding natural, cultural and artistic assets have significant potential.
There are specific inclusion challenges in the area, including low productivity, low wages and in-work poverty. Long-term health conditions often lead to people being unable to work, with 1 in 3 of those not able to work (economically inactive) due to long-term sickness.
The vision in the South Yorkshire Strategic Economic Plan 2021-2041 is to grow an economy that works for everyone with a focus on Community Wealth Building and the Wellbeing Economy. The Combined Authority’s Investment Fund seeks to help businesses to grow and create higher skilled and better paid jobs whilst supporting individuals to attain higher-level qualifications. South Yorkshire also recognises the need to invest in its communities to address spatial inequalities and improve resilience.
Here are some of the ways that South Yorkshire is delivering inclusive growth in practice:
Better Business Challenge
The Combined Authority is seeking to co-develop an initiative to encourage businesses to deliver greater social value, building on its 'good work' agenda.
RISE graduate programme
An innovative and unique award-winning business support initiative that has connected small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) across the region with talented, hard-working graduates.
Transform SY
An accelerator designed to support tech entrepreneurs to accelerate their business growth. It was designed to target harder to reach communities across the region, rather than focusing on Sheffield and the universities.