Latest News

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Welcome to the fifth edition of the Digital Skills Partnership. We hope this finds you safe and well. Here at the Digital Skills Partnership, we continue to be inspired by the great work across the country as communities and industry rally together to help  people navigate our new world.

This month’s edition features a spotlight section on digital inclusion, highlighting the incredible efforts  of some of our partners as they work at pace to support vulnerable groups during this uncertain time.

We are also pleased to share updates from the six trailblazer Local Digital Skills Partnerships, who have been playing an important role in the response to Covid-19, collaborating with local and national partners to help businesses and individuals build digital skills and resilience and contribute to regional economic recovery.

As ever, please get in touch with your feedback, experiences and concerns. We welcome you to share what would be of most value to you in this newsletter and we encourage you to share it with your networks. You can view our last edition  here  and new subscribers can sign-up  here.

1. Government Covid-19 guidance
2. Latest news from DCMS
3. Spotlight: digital inclusion
4. Updates from the Local DSPs
5. Educational resources for young people
6. Online learning: digital skills training
7. Latest research

 

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Whether you are facing particular challenges, or are developing new initiatives to support people during this time, please get in touch with us at  covid19tech@culture.gov.uk,  citing  ‘DSP’ in the subject line.

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Government Covid-19 guidance

The government has introduced a range of measures to support people and businesses during this time:

• Read more on the government’s response to Covid-19 and what you need to do  here.
• Check the  business support website  for the range of Covid-19 support available to businesses.
• Guidance for the public on mental health and wellbeing can be found  here.

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Latest news from DCMS

The Skills Toolkit: Free digital courses

The Department for Education, with support from DCMS, has recently launched  The Skills Toolkit, a new online platform providing easy access to free, high-quality digital and numeracy courses. The Skills Toolkit is open to everyone, whether they are furloughed, out of work, or just keen to learn a new skill.

Boosting the nation’s digital skills is a first step towards recovery, helping people build up the skills employers need while boosting growth and productivity. Indeed, as recent DCMS analysis has shown, 82% of job vacancies require digital skills.

We encourage you to share  the Toolkit  with your networks and employees to help individuals build up skills, progress in work, boost their job prospects, and support their mental health and wellbeing during this difficult time.

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Launch of the Consumer Digital Index

The 2020 Lloyds Bank Consumer Digital Index launched on 21st May  at a virtual, interactive event.  You can now access the full report, key findings and calls to action  here. The  Minister for Digital & Culture, Caroline Dinenage, also  shared a  video message for the launch.

The Consumer Digital Index is the largest measure of digital capability and skills for consumers.  If you’re interested in finding out more about this year’s key findings, or want to discuss the report in more detail, please reach out to  DigitalSkillsInclusion@lloydsbanking.com.

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£13 million bid to boost AI and data science digital skills

DCMS, BEIS and the Office for Artificial Intelligence have awarded £13 million to  18 universities across England  to boost the number of graduates in AI and data science technologies over the next three years. The competition was run by the Office for Students (OfS). £10 million of the funding will be used for scholarships to support students from underrepresented groups.

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New virtual cyber school for young people

DCMS in partnership with the SANS Institute has  recently launched a  new  virtual cyber school  for young people to join online classes to develop problem-solving and cyber skills. NCSC are also moving their popular  CyberFirst summer courses online  and the National Crime Agency (NCA) has recently launched  CyberLand, in partnership with  the Cyber Security Challenge UK. Read more  here.

Tech UK, in partnership with DCMS, has  also launched a  new cyber training and skills content repository, identifying a range of free-to-access online security training courses for all.

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Tackling Loneliness

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has launched a major effort to tackle loneliness and social isolation through a new  Let’s Talk Loneliness campaign. This includes a   £5 million funding boost  for national charities at the forefront of this work and a newly-formed Tackling Loneliness Network, bringing together charities and businesses. Read more  here.

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Spotlight: Digital inclusion

It is clear that digital skills can be a lifeline for people. Digital skills are crucial to ensure we stay connected with others, participate in the workplace and society, and manage our mental and physical wellbeing.

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Become a Digital Champion

Digital Unite  are offering  free 3-month membership to their award-winning Digital Champions Network  for individuals in communities and small charities as well as independent volunteers. The Network is an online learning and support platform that trains volunteers and staff as confident Digital Champions. It also includes guidance on providing digital skills support remotely  if you are interested in helping others stay connected. The offer is available to the first 100 people who sign up.   Find out more  here.

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DevicesDotNow: Getting the most vulnerable online

DCMS is pleased to promote  FutureDotNow‘s  DevicesDotNow campaign  to coordinate industry action to donate and distribute devices and connectivity to some of the most vulnerable households in the UK.

Can your organisation help?  The DevicesDotNow campaign is asking businesses to donate tablets, smartphones and laptops, as well as connectivity in the form of sim cards, dongles and mobile hotspots. Find out more  here.

To see how the campaign is already supporting communities, watch  Mable’s story  here. Mable, who is 91 and self-isolating, recently received a BT-donated tablet through the DevicesDotNow campaign and is now able to video call her daughter in Australia who she hasn’t seen for 25 years.

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Supporting people with an impairment and those in later life

AbilityNet  are offering  free IT and tech support  by phone or online for people of any age living with a disability or impairment. They are also hosting a range of free  AbilityNet Live online events  to help share useful information for disabled people and their carers and employers. Check out their  free resources  for more, including factsheets, digital accessibility resources, and workplace adjustment guidance.

Citizens Online  has curated a  list of resources  to help us stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues, including guidance on how best to support the elderly and vulnerable.

Good Things Foundation  has released a guide to help older people online. Their 2018  ‘I Am Connected’ report, commissioned by the Centre for Ageing Better, explores  new approaches to supporting the elderly online  and uses case studies of real people whose lives have been improved by acquiring digital skills.

Age UK’s  Covid-19 guidance includes  resources  on how you can support older people and look after your loved ones during this time.

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Resources and guides to tackle digital exclusion

“We all need to be asking people about their digital skills”  – have a read of this  blogpost from Citizens Online on the  importance of asking about people’s digital capability when making contact with those who are most at risk from Covid-19.

Citizens Online  are running a  series of free weekly online sessions  for people supporting others with their digital skills.  They have also created  a digital exclusion risk map of England, based around NHS Digital GP surgery data, to help understand community needs during Covid-19.

Digital Unite  has gathered together over 90 of their most relevant  digital guides and resources  to support people with the essential digital skills they need to stay connected and informed during Covid-19. These free resources can also easily be  added to your own website.

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Join the  Online Centres Network

If you are an organisation supporting your local community with free or low-cost computer access or tuition in essential digital skills, sign up to the  Good Things Foundation’s  Online Centres Network.

Good Things Foundation are also running regular free  online training and information webinars  to help Online Centres better serve their communities, and have also put together  a  range of resources.

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Lloyds Banking Group & We Are Digital: Support for vulnerable customers

Lloyds Banking Group and We Are Digital have launched a  new initiative to support vulnerable customers  access free and practical support to help them stay connected online.  We Are Digital will provide a specialist phone line to help up to 20,000 customers access the internet, at a time where gaining digital skills will support people with their finances.

The partnership will also deliver up to 2000 tablets to over 70s who don’t have a suitable device to access the internet as part of its pilot phase. Users will learn skills to help with everyday digital tasks such as online shopping and connecting virtually with family and friends, as well as online banking.

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Updates from the Local Digital Skills Partnerships

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“We are supporting our businesses during Covid-19 through our  Growth Hub website  and daily newsletters. Resources and online materials to support remote working and learning are on the site. Our £30 million  Accelerate Cheshire and Warrington training programme  that supports businesses to reskill and upskill their workforce, particularly in digital skills, has adapted to deliver training online.

“Initial responses to a survey of our secondary schools has identified approximately 2000 students who are unable to learn online because they do not have a computer. We are working closely with local partners and DevicesDotNow to address this.

“Our Pledge Network working with Learn Live have launched their  Learn Live @11am programme.  This broadcasts careers presentations from local employers accompanied by live question and answer sessions. Each broadcast has had around 4,000 views. Videos are available following the broadcasts.”

Sarah Williams, Regional Coordinator for Cheshire & Warrington

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“Over the last two months, we have been largely focused upon gathering intelligence and responding to immediate digital skills needs of SMEs, schools, and communities. We have also been working with partners to focus minds on the digital exclusion that has isolated so many in our communities. We have recently launched a newsletter to share regular updates from the DSP. You can sign up  here, and view our latest edition  here.

“We are working with a wide range of local partners and DevicesDotNow to develop a consortium approach to procurement. In addition, we are also working closely with NHS partners to explore how we could offer a more personalised digital solution based on a wider range of tech solutions, for example through voice-activated applications to minimise the need for additional digital skills training.

“As a Partnership, the CIoS DSP is largely focussed on how we can ensure digital skills can contribute to economic recovery as we enter a new normal. The lockdown has had a devastating impact on many SMEs, and we believe digital skills will be a core part of our recovery. The DSP has a huge role to play in helping the adoption of digital and the migration to more resilient delivery models.

“This has been a very tough period for many people. However, with challenge comes opportunity. These unique circumstances have clearly demonstrated the importance of embedding digital skills training at the heart of strategic planning. The DSP will play a central role in driving this change, and in turn, supporting our economic recovery.”

Ben Bolton, Regional Coordinator for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly

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“It’s great to have the opportunity to share what’s going on in Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay. As with all organisations, our work since mid-March has focused on Covid-19 support. Our speed of response and dissemination meant that we quickly became the central, digital signposting organisation for the LEP’s  Growth Hub, as well as our local authorities, district councils, business groups, and education providers.

“We will launch a new Digital Skills Resilience programme to support 600 SMEs with digital support, including short courses on cyber security, developing e-commerce websites, and using productivity tools. We are also engaging with DevicesDotNow and Business in the Community to leverage hardware and connectivity to vulnerable households

“In other news, our  Digital Skills Innovation Fund  project will complete delivery this July. It will have helped 170 individuals upskill or retrain into digital careers, including roles in cyber security and as network engineers or data analysts. The program, through mobilisation bursaries, will also support 50 individuals who had no prior access hardware with  online learning.  Finally, we have been selected as one of twenty finalists in the Nesta Career EdTech Challenge which will see us working with Learn Devon and Skilllab to support mature workers who are at risk of automation. You can read more about the project  here.”

Charlotte Collyer, Regional Coordinator for the Heart of South West

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“Here in the South East, we’ve compiled a comprehensive  list of digital skills resources, split by support for Businesses and Charities, Educators and Students and our Residents (including jobseekers and furloughed staff).

“We are delighted too to be in the process of agreeing a donation to the DevicesDotNow campaign, in order to secure hardware and connectivity for some of our most vulnerable residents who have no access to the internet. We will be targeting some of the most disadvantaged areas of the South East, and will work  with the Good Things Foundation’s Online Centre network to ensure that residents have the support they need to get online and be confident in doing so.

“We are also talking to Mindweaver AI, with a view to establishing a programme in partnership with Jobcentre Plus to support 30 to 50 candidates with a disability into digital jobs across the South East once lockdown is eased.”

James Wilkinson, Regional Coordinator for the South East

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“The Covid-19 pandemic has catalysed activity across the West Midlands region, demonstrating our resilience, especially within the tech sector. Many of the digital skills training providers we fund are now delivering their courses online. We are also pleased to announce 11 training providers to deliver Round 2 of the Digital Retraining Fund pilot. We currently publicise the online courses on our  Covid-19  support site.

“As many of our training providers are shifting to online delivery, we have collaborated with Birmingham-based tech company, Smartella, to support our colleges and training providers network tailor their courses to virtual learning. Our Local DSP is also proud to support the DevicesDotNow Campaign and we are delighted that BT have been able to support three Good Things Foundation online centres across our region with devices and connectivity.

“We are also very pleased to welcome the on-boarding of two new members to the DSP Board: Patrick Stephenson, the Director of Innovation and Healthcare at Fujitsu, and Wayne Langford, the Director for the West Midlands Combined Universities.”

Marika Beckford,  Regional Coordinator for the West Midlands

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Educational resources for young people

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Online learning: digital skills training

In addition to  The Skills Toolkit, there is a wide range of online learning offers and digital skills training platforms to support individuals upskill during this time. We have highlighted below a small sample of some of these offers, developed by DSP partners, from basic to more advanced courses:

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Lloyds Bank Academy  features free digital skills learning for any level. They also have a variety of resources for businesses including guides on engaging customers, generating revenue and improving operations. The Academy are also launching new content to provide support to organisations and people during this time, including broader content on mental health and wellbeing and sustainability. Check out their  Academy webinars, including weekly “Get Talking Tuesdays” sessions to bring the business community together while focusing on a key area of support.

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Google Digital Garage  has dozens of free online courses, including “Get a business online“, “Make sure customers find you online” and “Connect with customers over mobile“.  They are also  running  free  webinars  from Monday to Friday, covering a selection of courses aimed at helping individuals and small businesses with digital skills including digital marketing strategy and  building a CV and cover letter.

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BT’s  Skills for Tomorrow  programme provides support for people with low or no digital skills, small businesses, parents and teachers. They have also launched a  free webinar programme  featuring  a range of courses to help businesses and individuals, from using social media tools to managing your wellbeing.

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The  Data Skills Taskforce, supported by DCMS, has created a free online platform providing access to content for SMEs to help develop their data skills. The  platform has a  self-assessment tool that helps you understand your organisational and technical readiness with respect to data, and signposts you to relevant resources and training.

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Good Things Foundation’s  Learn My Way  platform provides  free online courses for beginners, helping you develop digital skills to make the most of the online world.  It also offers  Make It Click: a collection of online learning resources including courses, tools and templates carefully picked from established websites with a track record of providing reliable digital skills content.

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FutureLearn  offers credible and flexible online courses. You can find a range of courses in various subject areas including  IT and Computer Science.  For those looking to upskill, re-skill or simply keep their brains stimulated during this time, FutureLearn has collated a collection of ‘boredom-busting‘ courses from leading universities across the world.

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Ensuring your skills are up-to-date during this uncertain period can be difficult. In order to make digital skills education more available, the Institute of Coding’s partners have produced a  variety of courses, including some that are short, online and free, so you can gain new skills at home.

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Latest digital skills research

Cross-sector partnerships are vital to tackling skills challenges. Nesta’s latest  Partnership for Skills  report  looks at key lessons from four cross-sector partnerships from the Nordic and Benelux region, sharing their key learnings and recommendations for effective partnerships.

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If you would like any more information, or would like to find out our Covid-19 response work, please do get in touch with  us at  covid19tech@culture.gov.uk, citing  ‘DSP’ in the subject line.  We’d also welcome your feedback on the newsletter –  do let us know what you would like to see in future editions.

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