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Closing the digital gap by making sure we’re all up to speed

9 Aug 2024

In a world where it is assumed most people are tech savvy to a certain degree, those who are not find themselves excluded from a whole range of life’s essentials. They need our support, not just our sympathy, says Julie Graham, CEO of Ingeus’ employment services.

Paying bills, booking travel, ordering groceries, getting health advice, checking your bank balance, applying for a job… all these everyday tasks are now largely carried out online.

It can feel like everybody is online and knows their way around a digital device.

We know that’s not the case.

Latest figures show there are 8.5 million people in the UK lacking basic skills to use the internet effectively while 4.8 million never go online at all. A third say it is difficult to access NHS services offline and it is estimated shopping bills without using the internet can be up to 50 per cent higher.

Those most likely to be digitally excluded are often those most socially and economically excluded, including people who are older, in lower income groups, without a job, living with disabilities, homeless or whose first language is not English.

The reasons for this are a complex blend of lack of access to equipment, and the skills, confidence and motivation to use it. Cracking these barriers is key to the Government’s drive to “enable people in every part of society…to access the opportunities of the internet.”

But how to achieve that?

For those lacking basic digital skills the starting point must be giving them a reason to learn. Doing your tax return online or filling in council forms is unlikely to be a great motivator, but keeping in touch with family who live away might be. As would finding a decent job.

Ingeus helps people with poor digital capability to learn the basics that will enable those who have been unemployed for a long time to find work. For former offenders, who have been in prison and may have missed important digital advances, these new skills can help with tasks vital to their rehabilitation such as opening bank accounts and setting up an online ID.

One of our Restart Scheme participants. Mark, who is in his early 60s, had been out of work for five years due to ill health. He told us his main problem was computer literacy: “I am not very good at IT, it’s one of my weaknesses. I’m a pen and paper man.”

Mark completed a digital skills one-to-one workshop, which enabled him to apply for numerous vacancies, eventually landing himself a job as a customer advisor.

The wider story to Mark’s experience, and that of thousands of others, is that digital skills are essential not just to apply for jobs, but to get and keep them. A government report stated that they are required for around 82 per cent of all jobs in the UK. 

Thankfully, there are initiatives to learn those skills for free. Most libraries offer starter courses and have computers you can use if you don’t have one at home. You can enter your postcode here to find your nearest library computer skills courses.

Many local authorities have free basic digital training, some even offer subsidised equipment and internet access, with volunteers giving up their time to share their knowledge. Incidentally, the volunteers themselves benefit by adding valuable skills and experience to their CVs.

Charities such as Age UK offer introductory sessions and at Ingeus we partner with organisations that help equip jobseekers with the knowledge and tech to find life-changing work.

The Good Things Foundation has supplied almost 1,400 data-loaded sim cards to our Restart Scheme participants, while BornGood specialises in refurbishing IT hardware that we provide to jobseekers who otherwise would be unable to afford it. The Xyrius Group delivers digital skills courses, providing our participants with a tablet and data sim card to continue using their newly-learned skills.

The digital landscape is evolving rapidly. Within recruitment, AI can sift through mountains of CVs and cover letters to pick out the most suitable applicants, while Virtual Reality programmes provide an immersive training environment for both new and experienced employees.

So simply learning to get online is not enough. It’s a start, but there is no endgame here. The need for people to build on their basic skills will continue to be even more critical if they are to succeed in the jobs market. Failure to do so risks leaving further behind not only those individuals who are already struggling, but the UK’s economic growth.

We must not forget that behind the stats are real people struggling to make the most of their lives in this tech-heavy world. We can all play a part in supporting them. Right now, you are reading this article online so if you know somebody who might benefit from it, or if you spot other useful resources, please share with them. Let’s ensure online accessibility isn’t an unnecessary barrier for anyone.
 
The Good Things Foundation produces an insightful annual infographic showing how the UK is doing in terms of digital inclusion. Take a look here.