St Helens Chamber has opened Clickworks at the Hardshaw Street building in the town centre thanks to funding secured from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Tony McDonough reports

A new facility to provide businesses with help to enhance their digital skills and know-how has been launched in St Helens.

St Helens Chamber has opened Clickworks at the Hardshaw Street building in the town centre, thanks to funding secured from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, investing on behalf of the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Over the next six months the Clickworks team will be reaching out to businesses and people all over the borough to offer free digital skills training, at times and venues to fit around their work commitments and lifestyles.

Northern towns face decline if they don’t embrace digital – click to read more

To help make digital skills accessible to everyone in St Helens, the centre has a range of facilities and equipment and offers access to technology such as virtual reality and 3D printing.

Kath Boullen, chief executive of St Helens Chamber, said: “The chamber has always been at the forefront of delivering skills and services to help local businesses and people succeed, supporting our core mission to enhance the economic success of St Helens.

“In the modern workplace, digital skills are essential for businesses to thrive. We recognised that there was a significant need to improve the digital landscape of St Helens, so set out to develop and provide a new service that will build the digital capabilities needed.

Clickworks, which is also St Helens Council and glassmaker Pilkington, was officially opened by Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram.

He said: “I am committed to ensuring that the Liverpool city region is the most digitally connected in the country and to make the most of that we need to ensure that businesses and individuals have the right digital skills to capitalise on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

“It is impossible to overstate how important it is for the city region’s businesses to maximise the opportunities presented by digital connectivity, which is why Clickworks will be such an important addition to St Helens’ business support infrastructure.”