IT4all: A matter of global competitiveness

This new IT4all project - funded by DfES and supported by SEEDA - will align key stakeholders on a common agenda for action on IT user skills, through a programme of high-profile regional hearings engaging employers, educators and government.

IT is widely acknowledged to be the new literacy requirement of the 21st Century. Almost all businesses use information and communications technologies, in rapidly changing and increasingly complex and critical ways. The UK needs an employee base that is competent in and enthusiastic about the use of IT. Employers report that a generic gap in IT user skills amongst current employees is, after occupationally-specific skills, one of the most significant problems they face.

IT user skills are the key to the modern world. It took 13 years for television to reach 50 million people, but it has taken less than half that time for 407 million people to be online, exploiting the world wide web. By the end of 2000, nearly 50% of people in North America were online, compared with 28% in the UK. This is an example of a global divide that potentially leaves the UK less innovative, competitive and successful. For the increasingly important mobile technologies, Europe has a lead on the US but within Europe the Nordic countries currently dominate. In order to build and sustain the economy in the Information Age, the UK needs its population to be increasingly literate in terms of information and communications technology.

For e-commerce to become more widespread, the workforce needs the skills to be able to exploit the opportunities it offers. Although IT literacy has been improving steadily, 40% of UK companies report that their employees do not have a sufficient understanding of IT - the highest level of dissatisfaction registered in any G7 country. Currently just 50% of organisations offer formal IT training to their general workforce (i.e. not IT professionals). A relative lack of training combined with skill shortages could point to a key weakness in the e-commerce economy.

Improving generic IT user skills is an imperative no individual or business can afford to ignore.

The project objectives (to be achieved by the end of the year) are to:

1. Establish a common agenda for action to improve generic IT user skills, unifying partnerships of employers, educators, individuals and government within the South East region.
2. Deliver a regional forum where employers, educators, individuals and government :
   • develop a common understanding of the IT user skills challenges for the region
   • learn of technology and workforce trends relevant to IT user skills
   • input to a strategy to increase the general competence of the workforce in terms of IT user skills
3. Produce a template for further regional events around the country.
4. Make available on-line information on statements and findings from delegates.
   

Contact: Helen Porter on or

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