News: New study reveals Rotherham's lack of jobs for young people

A stark new Local Youth Opportunity Index from IPPR reveals a six-fold divide in the availability of suitable jobs for young people depending on where they live.

Young people in Rotherham have just 46 vacancies for every 1,000 young adults, compared with 288 in the Cotswolds.

The issue of NEETs, an acronym for "Not in Education, Employment, or Training", has long been on the agenda in places like South Yorkshire.

IPPR is an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society. Its latest analysis measures the number of suitable online vacancies relative to the number of 18 to 24-year olds in a local labour market and finds that there is around one suitable vacancy for every 22 young people in places like Rotherham, compared with one for every four young people in the Cotswolds.

Allthough it should be said that the link between Sheffield and Rotherham operating as one economy will mean that “suitable” vacancies looked at in the study ("occupations likely to offer entry-level opportunities, based on relatively low entry and experience requirements") outside of the borough will be accessible to Rotherham residents. For example, at Meadowhall. Sheffield still only ranked as tenth in the analysis with 60 suitable vacancies per 1,000.

National statistics centre on participation in education, training and NEET, age 16 to 17. The figure in Rotherham has been rising since 2019, when it stood at 195. It had hit 313 by 2023 before reducing to 289 in 2025.

The 2026 figure for NEETs aged 16 to 17 in Rotherham is the highest since 2019 at 342. At 5% of the 16 to 17 population, it marks a significantly poorer performance than comparator areas.

The charity says that the findings underline that becoming NEET is not simply a question of an individual's qualifications or willingness to look for work with young people facing an unemployment rate more than three times that of the wider workforce.

The authors warn the government that the employment-support system is failing to reach a large part of the population it is supposed to help. Jobcentre Plus is principally organised around people receiving Universal Credit, yet around half of young people who are NEET do not receive it. For those that do claim, the system remains too focused on compliance and work-search requirements.

A drop in the number of apprenticeships is also highlighted as having an impact on NEET figures.

Lord David Blunkett, former secretary of state for education and employment, said: "Young people have an immense amount to give. With national ambition, local leadership and the willingness to invest, we can ensure that birthplace does not determine a young person's future. We can renew the promise that should lie at the heart of any decent society: that no young person will be discarded, that the door to opportunity will remain open, and that everyone will have the chance to build a life of purpose."

Lord Jim Knight, former minister for employment and minister for schools, added: “IPPR's report dispels the myth that nearly a million young people are out of work because they lack aspiration. Young people in Rotherham are not six times less talented than those in the Cotswolds; they face six times fewer suitable vacancies."

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Rotherham's Employment and Skills Strategy 2026-2031 has a target for partners to reduce the number of 16–18-year-old and 18–24-year-old residents categorised as NEET and an action to create a "Joined Up and Tailored Provision for 16–24-year-olds."

Another action is for partners to develop targeted, person-centred interventions for young people at risk of becoming NEET. This includes "triaging and guidance; engaging schools, employers and parents/guardians; addressing barriers to work through 1-1 coaching and personalised support; and matching young people to opportunities for work and training."

Support focused on young people who are struggling in the labour market includes the council-funded Ambition project which supports young people to access employment, education or training, with half of these participants moving into the labour market.

The pioneering South Yorkshire approach of the Pathways to Work service works specifically with young people and through the Employment Solutions team in Rotherham, the Wage Subsidy Scheme supports employers to recruit young people with a paid job role for up to three months that is intended to lead to sustainable employment.

Another example is the traineeship programme linked to the Children’s Capital of Culture and Work Ready Placement Programmes specifically designed for NEETS.

Coordinated and accessible careers education in the borough is also highlighted as having an impact as pupils encountering employers are less likely to become NEET when they leave school.

National programmes include a Jobs Guarantee scheme and the Youth Jobs Grant and this week it was announced that a new scheme to offer 18-24-year-olds work experience is being developed with Britain’s biggest retailers. Young Futures Hubs and Youth Hubs are also being rolled out across the country but funding is yet to reach Rotherham.

Whilst Rotherham has seen large increases in productivity, and support may be there for young people, it is the lack of jobs that the analysis highlights.

The Rotherham Together Partnership has placed the economy at the forefront of its latest long term plan. It picks out that unlocking the full potential of Rotherham Gateway is a gamechanger, along with thriving town centres and growing a fair and thriving economy.

In addition, Rotherham is a key part of the Don Valley Corridor programme that has been given prominence as a growth area for South Yorkshire.

Henry Parkes, principal economist at IPPR, said: “Too much of the debate about youth unemployment starts from the assumption that the problem lies with the young person. Our local data shows just how wrong that is. There is a more than six-fold gap in the availability of suitable vacancies depending on where you live.

“You cannot solve a shortage of opportunity simply by asking young people to search harder. We need to create the first rung of the employment ladder in places where it is missing – and rebuild apprenticeships so that every sector is playing its part in giving the next generation a route into good work.”

IPPR website

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News: Local opposition to Rotherham hotel's new alcohol licence

Rotherham Council considering if a prominent hotel can reopen its bar and host late night events again.

In 2024 the authority, which has legal responsibilities to place homeless households in emergency accommodation, was criticised for using the Carlton Park Hotel to provide homeless accommodation without consulting locals.

Witness reports included “violent crime, burglaries, trespassing on private property, prostitution, sex in public, urinating in public, begging”, and “open drug use."

Boston Castle Ward member, Cllr. Taiba Yasseen said that there were serious safeguarding risks given the Moorgate hotel's location close to Oakwood School and Thomas Rotherham College.

Hotels and Resorts Ltd has recently applied for new licence that would cover the Sale of Alcohol, for consumption on and off the premises, the provision of Live Music and Recorded Music (indoors); and the provision of Late-Night Refreshment (indoors).

Reduced from 1am in an earlier proposal, the operators are seeking authorisation to allow the activities on every day of the week the between 10am and 12 midnight. Extended hours to 1am are requested around bank holidays, having previously been requested to 4am.

The applicant states: "Our intention is not to establish Carlton Park Hotel as a nightclub or unrestricted latenight entertainment venue. We simply want to reopen the hotel's pub/bar and restaurant for our hotel guests and the surrounding community and restore Carlton Park to the reputable hotel and hospitality venue it historically was.

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"We want to restore the hotel pub/bar and restaurant so hotel guests can have a meal and a drink without leaving the hotel and local residents can use and enjoy Carlton Park's facilities.

"The neighbouring Brentwood Hotel licence provides a useful local comparison for reasonable operating hours and activities on Moorgate Road. We seek a broadly comparable operating framework, including the same clearly defined seasonal extensions, while withdrawing the broad and less-defined extensions in our original application."

The licence would come with a number of management controls covering Challenge 25, CCTV, SIA registered door supervisors and staff training,

The council's licencing team have been unconvinced by the application and stated in its representation that it: "is opposed the grant of this application as it considers that the applicant has not sufficiently demonstrated that the steps they are proposing will sufficiently promote the Public Safety, Prevention of Crime and Disorder, Public Nuisance and the Protection of Children from Harm licensing objectives."

This is based on a lack of detail in the application regarding management controls and noise mitigation for nearby residential properties.

Alan Pogorzelec, Licensing Manager at Rotherham Council, also said in the representation: "It is understood that the hotel is currently used to temporarily accommodate homeless individuals. The applicant has not taken into consideration the vulnerable nature of these people, nor the potential impact that the sale of alcohol within the hotel is likely to have. The Licensing Authority is concerned that this activity will increase the already significant levels of crime and disorder within the area, and the applicant has not provided sufficient information of the steps that would be taken to prevent this."

A number of issues have been raised by Cllr. Yasseen and residents which were discussed when the Licensing Sub-committee met this week.

Carlton Park Hotel website

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News: Sell-out Chamber Means Business Expo returns

One of South Yorkshire's largest business expos returns to Rotherham this week, giving business owners across the region a unique opportunity to forge new connections and collaborate with others.

More than 80 businesses and organisations will exhibit at the free-to-attend event and with hundreds of delegates already confirmed, Chamber Means Business promises to give visitors the chance to make new business connections, learn more about the help and support available throughout South Yorkshire, as well as finding out how to secure opportunities to work with key organisations based within the region.

Hosted by Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, this year will see its popular Chamber Means Business Expo spread across three floors of the AESSEAL New York Stadium. The main exhibition, which takes place on the first floor sold out within record time this year, and an expanded second floor has been added, bringing together procurement opportunities with key public sector organisations from across the region including local authorities, universities and business support organisations. The exhibition will also give delegates the chance to learn more about a new AI Academy – launched by the British Chambers of Commerce and designed to help businesses harness technology to boost productivity and innovation.

Shane Young, Operations Director at Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, said: “Business success rarely happens in isolation. It comes from building relationships, sharing ideas and finding opportunities to work together, and that is exactly what Chamber Means Business is all about.

“This year, for the first time, we are expanding the Expo across three floors, giving businesses even more opportunities to meet new people, make valuable connections and speak directly with organisations that can help them move forward.

“Whether a business is looking for new customers, suppliers, skills support or opportunities to work with larger organisations, Chamber Means Business brings those conversations together in one place. The strength of the event has always been the people who take part, and we are looking forward to welcoming businesses from across Barnsley, Rotherham and South Yorkshire for what promises to be another busy day.”

Businesses attending and exhibiting at the Expo will also have the opportunity to showcase themselves live on the radio, with South Yorkshire Radio recording its Breakfast Show from the event. Exhibitors and attendees will have the chance to speak about their business, share their experience of Chamber Means Business and help showcase the people and businesses driving the South Yorkshire economy.

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Seminars will take place throughout the day including an interactive Levelling Up Your Marketing seminar between 10:30am to 11:30am, hosted by Shane Young.

The panel discussion will explore how businesses and professionals can strengthen their marketing in an increasingly competitive and fast-changing marketplace, covering topics including AI and the future of search, personal branding, emerging marketing trends, visibility and credibility.

The panel will feature Dan Broadbent, Director at Objective; Talisa Coe, Founder and Director of 10x Marketing; and Emily Jane Redfern, Marketing Manager at Slice Solutions, who will share practical advice and real-world experience to help attendees develop more effective marketing strategies.

Outside the stadium, JCT600 will showcase a selection of vehicles, while exhibitors throughout the venue will be running interactive activities, competitions and prize draws.

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber will also be giving businesses the opportunity to win two tickets to the Barnsley & Rotherham Business Awards, taking place in November, with the prize worth over £150.

Chamber Means Business was first launched in 2012 and has grown into a major annual opportunity for businesses from across the region to meet, share ideas and do business together.

Sponsored by KCM Waste Management, KAT Communications Ltd and Entry Sign, Chamber Means Business Expo 2026 takes place at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, Rotherham, on Thursday 17th September from 9:30am until 2:30pm.

The event is free to attend and open to businesses from across Barnsley, Rotherham and South Yorkshire.

Chamber Means Business website

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News: Speciality Steel UK nationalisation - what happens now?

The Government's work towards the public acquisition of Speciality Steel UK (SSUK) is expected to take between four and six months, but Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds wants it to be resolved as quickly as possible.

The Government took the step as it found that the private sector proposal from the preferred bidder "could not provide the long-term stability, certainty and value for money that workers, communities and taxpayers deserve."

Reynolds told the House of Commons: "That bidder subsequently requested Government support to make its purchase of Speciality Steel UK possible. However, following extensive engagement between the bidder and its advisers, and having done all the due diligence and given the case the consideration that taxpayers would expect, the Government have decided that they cannot provide support on the proposed terms."

He added that the Government had "serious concerns about the proposed financing of it."

The company’s sites support over 1,300 jobs in Rotherham, Stocksbridge, Brinsworth and Wednesbury.

The public acquisition move means that a liquidation process has been postponed, giving the state a strategic control over the future of a business that it believes has a unique place in the UK’s steel ecosystem due to its specialist steelmaking capabilities.

The government will work with local leaders, industry experts, private investors, workers and other partners to consider what is best for the strategically important locations. Taking between four and six months, the work will look at "future industrial use, regeneration opportunities and the role that specialist manufacturing capabilities could play in supporting growth and our national resilience."

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The future of speciality steel production will be high on the agenda and the assessment will include the consideration of products, customers and markets if the business is to be run profitably.

The Business Secretary explained: "The work we can now do will have to look at the capacities, the potential for new investment that might be required, the product lines, where the customers are and so forth.

"The key issue — I am not sure if this has ever been put on the record in Hansard before — is homologation. That is the assets of these sites and the accreditations they have for such a speciality set of products. Those assets are incredibly valuable. Not many parts of the world can produce to the standard that we are talking about. We now have a process — I want that to be as short as possible — where we can assess that."

Reynolds also discussed the potential costs involved - from running the business in public ownership, and from the remediation and regeneration of the sites. He said: "If this were a matter of public ownership, we would have to pay off the creditors, reach an accommodation with them, acquire the assets, and then inject some working capital over a period of between one and three years. I would expect the cost of that to be about £350 million, and I would expect something comparable were the option to be regeneration and remediation."

The government already has the powers following its previous work on British Steel in Scunthorpe. The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Act 2026 gives the government powers to bring critical steel manufacturing companies into public ownership when it is in the public interest.

Labour’s 2024 election manifesto pledged £2.5 billion to rebuild and modernise the UK steel industry, a commitment now being channelled through the National Wealth Fund. This is on top of £500m that was granted to Tata in Port Talbot under the previous Government.

The Business Secretary was also critical of the way the business was run as Liberty Steel. He told the house that the business only produced when the customer effectively supplied working capital. Reynolds called this "a highly irregular position, but one reflective of the opaque and byzantine financing arrangements under the previous owners. I believe the opportunity exists to operate a successful business in this space. There is nothing ideological about this; my ideal is for the business to be run in the private sector."

Many of the workers at SSUK have been furloughed and the plants have not been operating for several years.

Reynolds concluded: "I want to speak directly to the workers of Speciality Steel UK, who have been stuck on furlough, unable to do the jobs of which they are so rightly proud, through no fault of their own. I know that they feel ignored and let down by previous Governments, but as Business Secretary, I will not duck these difficult decisions, and neither will this Government. I will do all that I can to secure a bright future for you, your communities and your families."

Following the announcement, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said that the government needs "to get on and nationalise the company.”

Images: SSUK

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News: Rotherham reacts to Government's plan to nationalise steel firm

The Government's plan to work towards the public acquisition of Speciality Steel UK (SSUK) has been welcomed in South Yorkshire.

Chancellor of the Exchequer and Rawmarsh and Conisbrough MP, John Healey, said: "UK steel is vital for our economy and security. We produce some of the best steel in the world in South Yorkshire and it supports thousands of good jobs. Since the 2013 national steel summit in Rotherham, as a local MP, I’ve worked with steel company directors, trade union leaders and MPs of all parties to level the playing field for UK still firms.

"The company’s sites support over 1,300 jobs in Rotherham, Stocksbridge, Brinsworth and Wednesbury and have a proud steelmaking history, including the use of electric arc furnace technology. The sites could play a vital in role supporting the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy, having produced specialist steel for sectors, including aerospace, defence and advanced manufacturing.

"The Government’s work towards the public acquisition of SSUK will include considering a sustainable long-term future for SSUK as a speciality steelmaker, as well as opportunities for regeneration.

"The Government is delivering the UK’s first ever Steel Strategy, setting out a long-term plan to rebuild the sector, attract investment and position the UK as a world leader in clean, modern steel production.

"This includes taking bold action across the business environment: tackling electricity prices and carbon leakage, increasing the use of UK-made steel in government-supported offshore wind projects, and making it easier for firms to invest and grow in future-facing, decarbonised technologies.

"The Government is backing the transformation of the sector with up to £2.5 billion of support, alongside reforms to improve competitiveness, drive demand for UK-made steel and support decarbonisation."

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Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said: "It is of course deeply disappointing that Speciality Steel UK remains in administration. I thank the Government for seeing the potential in this key industry. However, Rotherham steel workers deserve clarity about what the future holds and are, I know, keen to return to work as soon as possible.’

"The cycle of failed ownership has held Specialty Steel back for far too long. I’m relieved the Secretary of State recognises this is a business with huge potential as a world leader in specialist steel products, with a strong track record and a skilled, experienced workforce.

"I welcome the Government’s announcement that it will work with the Official Receiver, myself, local leaders and the South Yorkshire Mayor towards public acquisition, while assessing all options for the company’s future.

"Whatever ownership model is ultimately decided, Speciality Steel needs leadership with the vision and commitment necessary to enable the business to fulfil its potential.

“The Labour Government has demonstrated its commitment to the UK steel industry since its very first days in office. From its resolute action to safeguard raw steel production in Scunthorpe, to its landmark Steel Strategy, which sets out unprecedented backing for the industry, Labour has shown time and time again that it is on the side of British steel businesses.

"I am proud to see that same commitment and focus given to safeguarding Speciality Steels UK, to protecting jobs in Rotherham and to continuing our long history of steel manufacture into a prosperous, successful future."

"I will be following discussions closely and will always speak up for Rotherham steel workers."

Cllr Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council, said: “The Government’s intention to intervene, developing a plan to bring South Yorkshire’s steel sites into public ownership reflects the seriousness with which the government is taking the task of ensuring Rotherham steel production has a bright future.

“Workers in Rotherham and across South Yorkshire have shown remarkable resilience through a prolonged period of uncertainty. They deserve a sustainable plan that gives them confidence in the future, protects our industrial heritage and preserves the sovereign capabilities that are so important to the UK economy. That is the case that our South Yorkshire team, including Mayor Oliver Coppard and our colleagues in Sheffield, have been making to government over many months. 200 years of steel production in Parkgate will not come to an end.

“We have long argued that the capabilities, skills and infrastructure contained within these sites are of national importance. At a time of growing uncertainty around global supply chains and economic security, maintaining the UK’s ability to produce high-quality specialist steel is more important than ever.

“We will continue to work with Government, industry and local partners to secure the best possible long-term outcome for our communities and our steel industry.”

Images: SSUK

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