The third annual National Digital Inclusion Conference took place in London last Tuesday, with more than 200 delegates from the public, private and third sectors getting together to discuss this key issue. UK Online Centres present a synopsis of the event
Digital inclusion may not historically be a political hot potato, an industrial dilemma or a meaty media tidbit, but last week it definitely had its Day, and looked well on its way to new recognition and action.
Hosted by Civic Conferences in association with UK online centres and DC10Plus, the Conference was chaired by Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive at the RSA, who led speakers and attendees through an exploration of digital exclusion, and what needs to be done to hit the ever-moving target of digital inclusion.
In his first speech as Minister for Digital Inclusion, Paul Murphy MP called upon the assembled audience to help him make a real impact on the digital divide by pooling their collective resources – with government departments, technology-industry partners and voluntary and community sector practitioners working together. He announced a new cross-departmental Cabinet committee which met for the first time the week before the Conference, and promised to spend the next few months working on a Digital Strategy Action Plan to lead the way for future action on digital inclusion.
He said: “Digital inclusion aims to create a fair society and bring social and economic benefits to individuals, communities and the economy as a whole. It is the links between social and technological disadvantage that makes digital inclusion a priority today. Action is needed to stop digital technologies becoming a divider in our country and instead to make them a great and powerful equaliser.”
Other speakers at the Conference included Schools Minister Jim Knight MP and Local Government Minister Baroness Andrews, who focused on the role of digital technologies in education and the work of local authorities and local strategic partnerships. Dr Tanya Byron talked about her experiences in putting together the Byron Review, which analyses children’s gaming and internet use. She pledged to make digital skills for excluded parents part of her forth-coming conversation with Ed Balls on how to fund the Review’s recommendations. Industry contributions came from Mike Hughes, Head of Inclusion Programmes at BT and Stephen Uden, Head of Skills and Economic Affairs at Microsoft, with Kevin Carey, Director of HumanITy adding a third sector view, and Miguel Gonzales-Sancho-Bodero from the European Commission looking at the European picture.
Helen Milner, Managing Director of UK online centres also spoke at the event, and launched a new research report beginning the work of tracking the specific economic benefits digital inclusion can bring to individuals, private sector companies, the government, society and the economy as a whole.
She added: “At last year’s Conference we concluded what we really needed to meet the digital inclusion challenge was a leading Minister. This year Paul Murphy made his very first speech and talked about his enthusiasm for the role and plans for the future. The day saw not only personal Ministerial interest from across government departments but also the launch of a Public Accounts Committee report into government on the internet which stressed the importance of making online services work for excluded people. There was a real buzz in the air, and a real feeling that digital inclusion is at last coming of age. The links between digital and social exclusion have been recognised, the inherent cost-savings mapped and the need for co-ordination acknowledged and understood. Digital inclusion is stepping out of the shadows, and I’m looking forward with real optimism to a bright year ahead.”
Another speaker and key partner in the Conference was Stephen Dodson, National Director of DC10Plus. He concluded: “Next year, we want to be here with a clear way forward in reaching the final quarter, having made a lasting and significant dent in the remaining digital divide. We’ll be talking not just about getting the last quarter ‘online’ but how we use digital technology to address some of the core social and economic issues around health, jobs, education and civic engagement. If we can work together, if we can keep up the energy and momentum from the Conference, we really can make a difference.”
· A full live web-cast from the Conference is available on the DC10 Plus website:
· Presentations and a Conference report can be found here
· The UK online centres Economic benefits of digital inclusion research can be found here: