On December 8th 2021 the DIAW Network met to discuss Priority 4: Digital Skills. We heard from Network Member Sam Ali of Newport City Council on their skills audit and other important digital skills work going on at the moment. We also heard from Simon Cromwell of the DVLA on behalf of the DIAW Steering Group and Hannah Bacon of WCVA about the Newid project.
Priority 4: Prioritising digital skills in the post-Covid economy
Working collaboratively with Welsh Government and wider sectors, the Alliance will strive to ensure the digital skills agenda is targeted at those people and places most likely to lack basic digital skills.
The DIAW Steering Group are going to take action to help achieve outcomes for this priority.
We are working with the City and Region deals on this priority. We believe there is a strong case for regional funding to be focused on this priority.
We will use our position as part of the scoping work for the Minimum Digital Living Standard as well as currently held positions on relevant boards and steering groups to influence decisions made about the MDLS indicator to ensure that it is accompanied by appropriate understanding of the levels of digital skills across Wales and access for all groups to appropriate support for those who are digitally excluded due to digital skills.
We will get a better understanding from Welsh Government of what skills framework will be applied when measuring whether people have the skills to be considered digitally included in Wales.
We see the benefits of a Skills Audit of employees across the public and third sector and encourage all DIAW public sector members to consider working with Digital Communities Wales to conduct a skills audit.
The DIAW Network will foster collaboration between partners to support each other and create better links between device/data loan/gifting schemes and digital skills provision.
Digital Inclusion Alliance Wales Network Meeting on Priority 4
The DIAW’s Agenda for Digital Inclusion has key outcomes for this priority:
Every adult seeking work or at risk of redundancy has access to appropriate, ongoing basic digital skills training and confidence building.
A digital skills audit of employees across Wales is undertaken.
Businesses and employers across Wales train and upskill their workforce in core digital skills.
City and Region Deal strategies consider how they can promote and invest in basic digital skills.
