UK first virtual driving school launched for students at Barnsley College
The project will help cut the cost of learning to drive for local students
Last updated 18th Sep 2026
Barnsley College has launched a UK-first virtual driver training academy, in a bid to give students experience of getting behind the wheel.
From today up to 200 students a year will get support to pass their theory test and obtain a provisional licence.
They will also get access to VR driving lessons and hazard perception training, helping them to get a head start on getting on the road.
It comes as the proportion of 17 to 20 year old with a full drivers licence was down to just 29% in 2024, from 48% in 1994.
A lack of a driving licence can also prove to be a barrier to getting employment, with almost a fifth of UK jobs requiring one according to CSJ analysis.
Principal and CEO of Barnsley College, David Akeroyd, said: "The cost of learning to drive is one of many barriers our students face and has, for many, become prohibitive.
"It falls hardest on students from some of the most deprived wards in the country and these are young people whose ambition and ability were never an issue but face a ÂŁ2,472 bill they have no way of meeting.
"We've always looked for local answers to national problems, which includes the NEETs crisis. We know that if this works for our first cohort, it has implications for every college in the country and for thousands of young people leaving further education each year.
“In a competitive job market and a cost-of-living crisis, we need to give our students every advantage to gain meaningful, skilled employment that allows our communities and the local economy to benefit.”