Digital Divide a UK perspective

1
Digital Divide a UK perspective

• DOMINIC FLITCROFT
• DFEE
• Email dominic.flitcroft_at_dfee.gov.uk
• Responsibility for ICT and education and
  employment issues with an international
  perspective and
• Computers Within Reach Scheme

2
UK schemes

• UK online centres
• 700 of them being set up now
• Piloting small scale ownership of PC if complete
  a period of approved training
• PM initiative for Universal access to ICT and
  internet for those who want it by 2005

3
Involvement with industry

• Links with employers on Computers within Reach
• Links with employers in Wired Up Communities
  projects
• Personal use of ICT by employees

4
PROPECTUS FOR INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT

• Issued recently with deadline of end of November
• Key issue what can they offer in terms of
• Support
• Advice
• Jobs
• Community links

5
UK FACTS AND FIGURES

• In 1998, the Prime Minister set up a range of
  Policy Action Teams. These teams brought
  together experts from beyond and within
  Government to consider how best to regenerate our
  most deprived communities. One (Policy Action
  Team 15) looked at the role ICT can play in
  neighbourhood renewal.

6
UK schemes

• Wired Up Communities
• Provide universal access to people in small areas
  
• Small pilots
• First pilot in Liverpool in 2001
• Budget 10 million

7
Digital Divide a UK perspective

• Computers Within Reach
• Recycled Pc to those seeking a job
• On state benefits
• To help with study and student homework as well

8
UK FACTS
Over the first three months of 2000 an average of
6.5 million households in the UK could access the
Internet from a home computer, ie 25 per cent of
all households and is double the number in the
first three months of 1999. The figures do not
include new forms of access, such as digital
television -Forty-five per cent of
adults in Britain have accessed the Internet This
is equivalent to 20.4 million adults in Britain
  -62 of business have access to the internet
and that 92 of companies have access to a
computer.   - in terms of reasons for not
accessing the internet include 54 indicated a
lack of interest and 15 had a lack of confidence
or the skills (15)
9

• The survey considered by the Policy Action Team,
  one in three people in social classes A and B
  have access to the Internet but only one in 50 of
  those in social classes D and E. In an
  increasingly online world, many of these people
  find that being excluded from technology is
  compounding the difficulties associated with low
  educational achievement or poor skills and is
  pushing them further and further into social
  exclusion.

10
Role of industry ?Telecommunications industry
vibrant market and competitionother industryto
further their business needsand promote ICT
skillsand assist with training and development
of next generation of the workforce
11
The Challenge   This document is a challenge to
industry to join us in helping to take this work
forward. Only by working together can real
changes in peoples prospects be achieved. The
key challenge is to identify Internet-based
learning and information resources that will
offer new opportunities to all people in
disadvantaged communities, from young children to
adults and older people. But we would also like
to hear from equipment suppliers and
infrastructure companies with ideas on how they
might also get involved with the delivery of the
Internet into peoples homes.
12
Why should the private sector be involved?   The
pilot projects offer private sector organisations
opportunities to          test out innovative
products in a controlled environment and receive
feedback on usage          develop new markets
       make a tangible and lasting contribution
to deprived communities to help them overcome
social exclusion barriers.      
13
 
New Deal for Communities This could provide the
conduit for consulting the community on a range
of issues. It could offer significant potential
to canvass opinion, test ideas, and receive
comment on a range of local concerns to the
community.
 
 
Education Action Zones
Links with EAZs could offer online learning,
counselling and job support e.g. help with CVs,
job applications or links with local schools.
 
Sure Start
Information could be targeted at the most needy
in their own homes and once user preferences have
been established there would also be potential to
tailor advice to individual needs.
 
UK online Centres and learndirect
Links could be developed with local UK online
centres and the learndirect network to encourage
people to progress from using the Internet in
their own homes through to other forms of ICT
based learning.
 
 
Health Action Zones
Information could be provided on local health
services e.g. chemists rotas, list of GP
practices.
 
There would also be potential for the development
of an interactive website to receive input and
comments on health issues and services, or the
provision of online support e.g. smoking, drugs,
depression and online health promotion advice.  
       
Sport Action Zones Links could help to promote
involvement in sport (particularly among hard to
reach groups) and the development of local
sporting networks and promote awareness of local
facilities.
 
14
(No Transcript)
15
IMFUNDO PROJECTTo assist with ICT teacher
training in developing countriespublic private
partnershipCISCO VIRGIN CIVIL SERVANTS
DEVELOPING A KNOWLEDGE BANK
16
Examples of partnership

• City Academies Dixons an IT retailer sponsors
  the school and provides cash and community and
  school involvement
• Differential approaches to different markets eg
  education ie through competition or through
  decisions of consultation and then regulator
  decision

17
Industry involvement in skills developmentthroug
h involvement in helping determine priorities
budget and demand for training at local levels
through LEARNING AND SKILLS COUNCIL

• I

18
Competition is not just national

• Changes in ownership
• large number of multinationals
• EU involvement in competition policy impact of
  third generation mobile licences

19
Impact in UK of games and entertainment market

• Group discussing the added value for education in
  current games equipment
• should we use these type of services as a way of
  increasing access and use of e government
  initiatives

20
       UK online portal http//www.ukonline.go
v.uk/        Learndirect http//www.learndirect.
co.uk/        Learning and Work Bank (expected
to be available from January 2001)       
Parents website http//www.parents.gov.uk/       
National Grid for Learning (NGfL)
http//www.ngfl.gov.uk/   D