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Appendix V: United Kingdom


This Document is Archived


Information and Communication Technologies and Social and Economic Inclusion

Marianne Doczi, Information Technology Policy Group, Competition and Enterprise Branch
[ Last Updated 13 December 2005 ]


1. The United Kingdom has a comprehensive e-commerce strategy that incorporates funding and activities to enhance social and economic inclusion. These include:

  • Establishing 1000 ICT Learning Centres across the United Kingdom;
  • Discounts of up to 80 percent of course fees for adults signing up to improve their basic computer literacy;
  • Start up funding for Individual Learning Accounts to enable people to access ICT training;
  • Employees being able to borrow computers from their companies as a tax free benefit;
  • An extra 50,000 free places for unemployed people, the low paid, people with disabilities and single parents to attend IT introductory learning courses;
  • Access to Learning Direct, the new computer based University for Industry, from ICT Learning centres;
  • Opportunities for low income people to lease computers and software similar to the process for loaning books from libraries, and be provided with connectivity and advanced online and offline learner support.

ICT Learning Centres

2. The United Kingdom government is of the view that many people, particularly in disadvantaged communities, do not have opportunities to use ICT to assist with lifelong learning to improve their skills, opportunities and quality of life. That such people are unaware of the range of opportunities available to them through ICT and how to make the most of them, and have low or no ICT skills.

3. Accordingly the Government, through the Department for Employment and Education has made £252m available to establish around 700 ICT Learning Centres across England. These Centres will be located in communities providing a local place for people to meet, learn and achieve.

4. They will provide hands-on learning for those with little or no ICT skills or access to ICT, for example helping people to:

  • use the Internet to access information
  • send email and use other ICT applications
  • explore the opportunities information technology can offer such as further learning and updating skills.

5. Six early "pioneer" projects were established in October 1999 to test a number of issues and inform development of the programme. As can be seen from the lists below the centres reflect the diversity of locations needed to reach all sorts of learners.

  • Big Top Learning Gateway - A mobile centre touring with a funfair and visiting 31 locations around the West Midlands.
  • Greater Manchester Bangladesh Association and Community Centre - A community-based organisation, which deals with a large cross-section of the community, and offers ICT training.
  • Community Development Foundation - Five small community-based projects (located in Brent, Hove, Newcastle, Plymouth and Shipley).
  • Sheffield CITINET - Three different community based projects providing training and access to ICT.
  • Norfolk Family Learning Programme - a project based in a health centre on a housing estate.
  • WEA East Midlands - A learning centre set up in the Mansfield Unemployment Worker's Centre.

6. In addition 13 pathfinder projects were announced in 31 January to further test issues before the main rollout of the programme in September 2000. These are: 59

  • The Learning Pub and The Grove Project - Stafford - Opportunities to learn in pubs will attract new users of ICT. The Grove Project will create a "community classroom" to tempt techno-phobic parents to return to learning.
  • Burnley Football Club Adult Learning Centre - Burnley - State-of-the-art technology is being brought into play at Burnley to encourage adult men to try their hand at ICTs. Professional mentors replace the coach, supporting older workers and the unemployed to improve their skills.
  • Walthamstow Age Concern - London - This project will reach out to the over 50s - using laptops to bring ICT to their community and encouraging private sector support to inspire a new wave of "silver surfers".
  • Stourbridge College Centre - Stourbridge - A mobile learning centre will bring new technology to some of those who could most benefit from on-the-spot training - such as small business men and women who cannot take time out to learn away from the shop.
  • The People's Learning Centre - Birmingham - Local people and businesses have joined together to engage a whole community in ICT - innovations include a free computer to all who complete their training and participate in community activity, a homework club and a "cyberhood watch programme" using CCTV.
  • Knowledge Base Ltd - Scarborough - Four new centres and a mobile unit will provide easy access to ICT in North Yorkshire. Laptops will be used to set up access points in a wide range of locations, including pubs and leisure centres.
  • The Learning Freeway - Romford - The project will offer a lifeline to those who feel that they cannot "get into" ICT, particularly older men. A local house on a housing estate will provide ICT training "next door" and TV and other media will make the learning exciting and appealing to a wide group.
  • NACRO Services - Sussex - A mobile centre will visit ex-offenders and their families in the region, providing basic skills training and encouraging learners to make the step from the mobile to their local college.
  • New College - Nottingham - A mobile centre will use satellite technology to bring new learning opportunities to isolated groups such as lone parents who cannot get to college and those who cannot physically get out and about to other learning centres.
  • Hugh Baird College - Merseyside - The college is working with Tesco to prepare unemployed people for re-entering the labour market. ICT training will be supported by job search and careers guidance.
  • Input Output Centres - London - Libraries in Ealing, Brent and Hammersmith & Fulham will offer training on the web to adults seeking new skills. Innovations include 24hr on-line mentoring and on-line testing and accreditation.
  • Head to Head Training - London - This centre will offer training tailor-made to a number of disadvantaged groups - including training aimed at older men, trying to get back into the labour market, and women only groups. Using games and videos the centre is designed to capture the imagination and make ICT training entertaining and appealing.
  • Education, Employment and Training Access Centre - Leicester - Leicester College will offer user-friendly courses in non-traditional ways, ensuring that the content of the courses keep new learners interested and wanting to learn more.

59http://www.dfes.gov.uk/


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