New funds to boost diversity of people working in digital and tech jobs

By August 29, 2018 Press Releases

The Government has announced a £1 million Digital Skills Innovation Fund that aims to help people from underrepresented groups gain the skills they need to work in digital roles.

The funding will be used to help women, disabled people, people from minority backgrounds or those living in lower socioeconomic areas to succeed in digital roles such as data analysts, programmers, cyber security specialists, software developers and marketers.

Research reveals 17 per cent of women make up the tech workforce and are underrepresented in the uptake of digital qualifications. Unemployed adults are five per cent more likely to lack the basic digital skills than the national average.

Local Economic Partnerships (LEPs) and Combined Authorities can apply for funding to implement initiatives that helps these groups into digital roles.

At the same time, a £400,000 Digital Inclusion Fund has been launched to help older and disabled people acquire digital skills. Innovative projects are expected to include the teaching of basic skills such as booking GP appointments online, using apps to communicate with friends and family, and making the most of search engines.

Dr Richard Wilson OBE, Chief Executive Officer of TIGA, said:

“The continued success of the video games industry depends on having access to creative, skilled workers. By upskilling those from a wide range of backgrounds, we can ensure that workers are coming into the video games sector with fresh and different perspectives. We can also ensure that more people have an opportunity to work in our creative and digital industries.”

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