Doncaster has an exciting future ahead of it and education lies at the heart of our progress.
Doncaster is developing at a breathtaking rate with new developments such as the international airport and Education City. These signal a renaissance in Doncaster’s economic fortunes, bringing a range of opportunities for local people and businesses.
Education and training are crucial if we are to benefit fully from these new developments. This means ensuring as many Doncaster people as possible are in a position to take up the new opportunities available. I know from the many employers I speak to as Mayor that one of their primary considerations when investing in an area is the existence of a workforce with the relevant skills they need. This is just one example of why education and training need to be such high priorities.
In my view, education is much more than about creating jobs, it is also about improving our communities. We therefore need to ensure that our aspirations for Doncaster are reflected in a borough that achieves the critical balance of social, economic and environmental development in everything we do.
First class education and training has never been more important which is exactly why it is my primary priority as Mayor.

Martin Winter, Mayor

The Digital Knowledge Exchange will be a central hub within the new Doncaster Education City. It will act as a central driver for change, bringing together the very latest in research and innovation involving global practitioners. This will facilitate the transfer of knowledge within cutting edge creative and digital applications. The knowledge and experience gained around the sharing of this unique content will help both inform and create curriculum delivery methods and training to best serve the growing economic development of Doncaster and the wider South Yorkshire region.
To deliver the above the DKE has already undertaken capacity building development, creating curriculum programmes from Access Level in terms of re-engagement of youth through to Masters Degree Level, within Animation & Games and Digital Performance. In determining these programmes it has developed unique workshop activities alongside industry practitioners to assist in the re-skilling of the established workforce, and created a job interview guarantee scheme, enabling graduates to be subsidised into local companies, increasing their capacity to grow and develop within the fields of creative and digital applications.
In developing curriculum and training with our many industry partners we are keeping pace with technology and paving the way for our young people to respond to the growing needs of industry, equipping them with the skills for the 21st century.

Malcolm Kay
Project Director,

Paul Thorpe
Digital Industries Development Manager,
Digital Knowledge Exchange