Coworking spaces: a place-based approach for skill development in left-behind regions

Drawing on survey data from 161 coworking spaces (CWSs) across 74 international territorial level 3 (ITL-3) regions in the UK, this study examines the impact of CWSs on skill development across two key domains: social–cognitive (SC) and technical–digital (TD) skills. Our findings suggest that CWSs are associated with the development of both SC and TD skills. Notably, we observe regional variation in how these skills are acquired. In left-behind regions, members of CWSs particularly benefit from the structured resources offered by CWSs, such as access to physical infrastructure and targeted training opportunities, whereas in non-left-behind regions, skill development tends to emerge more organically, bottom-up, through informal social interactions within CWSs. We conclude by emphasising the importance of incorporating CWSs into place-based policy discussions and their potential as vehicles to shape local skills strategies, particularly in left-behind regions.