Good Practice in Digital Inclusion and ICT Use

Good Practice in Digital Inclusion and ICT Use

Review of existing evidence

February 2012

Ellie Roberts

Lydia Finnegan

Lauren Small

This report has been quality assured by:

Name: Lauren Small

Position: Senior Researcher

Date: 03/02/12

Lauren Small

Senior Researcher

Inclusion

Third Floor

89 Albert Embankment

London

SE1 7TP

Tel: 44207 840 8322

Email:

Full report title

1  Introduction

1.1  This paper presents findings from a review of existing evidence including research on EU-wide digital inclusion policies, the theory behind the move to a more digitally inclusive world and the effects policy and campaigns have had at an UK level. The literature review has been produced to inform the development of the ESF project, TeleInclusion Community (Tincom) which aims to ‘promote youth inclusion and employment policies trough the Living Laboratory. [1]

1.2  The Tincom project has been formulated to address the ongoing and deeply worrying economic crisis in the EU and its particular effects on young people. Youth unemployment is certainly a hot topic issue. Only recently, the 2012 World Economic Forum where key world players including business leaders, politicians and economists came together in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss worldwide issues of unemployment and growth. It was reported that action on youth unemployment was “essential to stimulate demand and prevent a generation becoming strangers to work”. (Guardian: 2012).

1.3  Research suggests that rising unemployment especially amongst young people can increase the risk of social exclusion (Hammer: 2003). There are key social drivers that contribute to digital exclusion: there has been extensive research demonstrating that many of those who are socially excluded are also digitally excluded (2008: UK Dept. for Communities and Local Government). Therefore, young people are excluded from society and then unable to access the same chances and opportunities as everybody else if they are not IT-literate.

1.4  Digital inclusion is also high on the political agenda for the EU Commission. One of the key priorities of the Europe 2020 strategy is smart growth, which encompasses greater digital inclusion for the EU 27, improved education and more research and innovation. The aim of this project is to increase the inclusion of young people by creating an interactive online space where information and knowledge around jobs and employability issues can be shared.

2  Digital Inclusion in the EU

2.1  The European Union has established the ‘Digital Agenda’ as one of its key flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 strategy, which is designed to create a sustainable future, encourage growth and steer the EU economy out of the crisis. The Commission describes the overarching objective of the agenda as:

“to chart a course to maximise the social and economic potential of ICT, most notably the internet, a vital medium of economic and societal activity: for doing business, working, playing, communicating and expressing ourselves freely. Successful delivery of this Agenda will spur innovation, economic growth and improvements in daily life for both citizens and businesses.” (EU COM: 2010a)

2.2  Set out in the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) are a number of key obstacles the Commission believes are standing in the way of Europe harnessing ICT and the internet to its full potential, including the lack of digital literacy and skills. The Commission states that this issue requires a “coordinated reaction, with Member States and other stakeholders at its centre” (EU COM: 2010). The paper goes on to acknowledge that in harnessing the full potential of ICT and internet technologies, Europe could develop ways of better addressing a range of social challenges including, for example, issues such as an ageing population and inefficient public services. As the DAE forms a crucial part of the European Growth Strategy, reports are being regularly generated to track the progress of all steps taken to fulfil the agenda at all levels. Over the next 1-2 years, the items for action for Member States in the area of digital literacy, skills and inclusion are to:

n  Implement long term eSkills and digital literacy policies (DAE Action 66) as soon as possible.

n  Mainstream eLearning in national policies (DAE Action 68). (EU COMM: 2011)

2.3  The digital agenda scoreboard, which can be viewed on the DAE website suggests that progress has been achieved in terms of meeting key objectives to increase internet use across Europe. Regular internet use and use amongst disadvantaged groups has increased, however, the associated report suggests that there is still a way to go. There is a significant portion of the European population who are still failing to benefit from internet and ICT related opportunities. The working paper outlines that in order “to achieve ‘Every European Digital’ by 2015, Europe needs to develop the ICT skills base of its population.” (EU COM: 2011 (708).

2.4  For the Tincom project, it is interesting to note that regular internet usage amongst Italians is low in comparison to the rest of the EU (48 per cent). In addition, Italy also has a high proportion of the population who have never used the internet. In comparison, 80 per cent of the UK population are regular and frequent users (European Commission – digital agenda scoreboard. Ref 7). This data demonstrates that Italy and the UK are at very different points in their journeys to full digital inclusion. This provides two very interesting and varied backdrops for the facilitation of the social experimentation that TinCom encompasses.

2.5  It seems apparent that not only is internet use increasing across the EU, but people are starting to use the internet to address a wide range of needs. ‘Looking for a job or sending a job application’ is noted as one of the key and growing uses of internet services in the EU according to a European Digital Competitiveness report published in 2010 (EU COMM: 2010b). It also suggests that more people in more European countries are using the internet for educational purposes and to look for courses.

2.6  In terms of how use is distributed amongst different age groups, the report suggests that internet use for ‘finding a job, training and education’ purposes peaks at those aged between the ages of 24 and 34. The report indicates that this is not only because this group are considered to be ‘digital natives’, but also because the need for this type of use for ICT and internet services is greatest for those who are about to enter or just entering the labour market, and require a range of tools in order to do so. The report also interestingly disseminates findings which suggest that unemployed people are heavy users of the internet for seeking jobs and submitting job applications, with nearly 70 per cent of unemployed internet users using it for this reason. Although this is a significant proportion of users, it is important to consider those who are not using the internet for these purposes, the reasons for this, and the disadvantages this could possibly bring.

3  Digital Inclusion and social inclusion: the UK experience

3.1  Numbers of people in the UK accessing the internet have steadily increased over recent years. In the years from 2006 – 2010, the number of households with access to the internet has increased from 57 per cent to 73 per cent (Office for National Statistics: 2010). However, the most recent statistics released by the ONS suggest that there are still 8.43 million adults in the UK who have never used the internet (ONS: 2011).

3.2  In March 2010, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) published a report setting out the UK’s national plan for digital participation. Drawing on the Digital Britain White Paper which highlighted the importance of understanding, appreciating and planning for the digital world and the potential related benefits, the National Plan offers a framework to allow a number of different stakeholders in the UK to come together to achieve the shared goal of digital participation. It notes that significant benefits can be gained through widening participation including benefits to the government, industry and also for citizens (BIS: 2010). Research conducted by Price Waterhouse Coopers contributes to an understanding of these benefits and suggests that:

n  Educational benefits and consequent increased earning potential could be experienced by introducing the internet into homes that do not have internet access or a computer;

n  Unemployed people who start engaging with online tools and facilities could increase their chances of getting a job and increase lifetime earnings of around £12,000 per person;

n  People with good ICT skills can earn between 3-10 per cent more than those who do not have these skills.

3.3  PWC conclude that the total potential economic benefit of getting everyone in the UK online is in excess of £22bn (PWC: 2009). As the interest around the issue of digital inclusion was gaining momentum, and government began taking note of advice offered by bodies such as PWC, a Task Force was appointed in June 2009 to reduce digital exclusion and improve lives and life chances. Various government departments including DCLG were heavily involved. The issue has not been forgotten by the current government who have continued to promote the digital inclusion agenda through the Race Online 2012 campaign. With the tagline, ‘we’re all better off when everyone’s online’, Race Online 2012 is a challenge to get everyone in the UK online, making it the first nation in the world where everybody is IT literate. It aims to do this by facilitating partnerships to encourage and support more people to get online and make progress towards social change in this area. This can be achieved in a number of ways and organisations across all sectors can be involved. For example, one company has encouraged online learning to award work-based qualifications, and another has offered low-cost broadband solutions to disadvantaged communities.

3.4  Some academics working in this field however, do not feel that the government is doing enough. Ellen Helsper recently explored evidence suggesting that the government has moved away from ‘active intervention to improve use’ to a focus on rolling out superfast broadband across the country. The Race Online 2012 campaign is evidence that interventions to improve inclusion are still underway, but Helsper suggests that the issue has moved away from the focus of policy makers and the importance of educating people, improving IT literacy and furthering public awareness campaigns (Helsper: 2011). Helsper goes on to argue that although the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have officially picked up this strand of work, the priorities of the previous UK government and similarly the EU have been lost to an extent. She argues that we are now reliant on the private and the third sectors to pick up the job of furthering the social and educational elements of digital inclusion. This creates a problem as the private sector may not always have social inclusion as their number one priority, and the third sector may not have all the necessary resources or may be targeting very specific groups. Who is digitally excluded?

3.5  Information given on the Race Online website contributes to our understanding of digital exclusion, stating that there are some groups that are more disadvantaged that others, for example older people. This shows that, though the evidence suggests that the UK is more advanced than other European countries, there still seems to be a long way to go. The Government recognised a while ago that access to the digital world was split between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ (DCLG: 2008b) and that having access can infer a range of advantages on a person or group. Although recent research depicts a story of increasing access across the UK population with the rise and uptake of new technologies, it is not even or fairly spread, and there are certain groups who are able to benefit more either through means or knowledge. Work carried out in 2007 by Freshminds found a strong link between social and digital exclusion, with social exclusion being compounded further by a person’s limited access to services and information (some of which now are available only online). For example, having good IT skills and access to the internet can now help people complete tasks online like paying bills, which can often lead to discounts. The DCLG report suggests that those who have the most limited access include people who:

n  Are older– aged 65 and over;

n  Are single, widowed or separated;

n  Have low qualification levels;

n  Are unemployed or not in full time work.

3.6  It seems to be the case disadvantaged groups generally are those who are experiencing the most acute digital disadvantages. This coincides with findings from the Oxford Internet Institute which found that those who are most deprived socially are likely to lack access to the digital world. Recognising the link between digital exclusion and social exclusion more generally, the government reported that ‘digital exclusion cannot be solved in isolation from other policy areas’ (DCLG: 2008b, pg26).

3.7  There must be recognition that people use the internet for different things. Evidence indicates that not everybody logging on will be doing so in order to take advantage of, for example, learning or employment opportunities, and use will differ considerably between groups (Selwyn and Facer: 2007). Others argue that the definition of “internet user” must go beyond the distinction of ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’, and that a single targeted policy at those who have not will not be sufficient (Eynon: 2009). In addition to this, the reasons that people do not or chose not to engage with the internet and with ICT technologies are widening and multi-faceted. An Oxford Internet Survey Report suggests that factors such as cost, access, interest and skills are important and inter-related (Dutton and Blank 2011). Therefore, any measures taken to improve digital exclusion must take these points into account.