Campaign launches to discover the nation’s digital skills 

A new campaign has launched today (02 September) to better understand the UK’s digital skills and raise awareness of the barriers in society. 

Created by the education charity NCFE, No One Left Offline is aiming to highlight the importance of every individual in the UK possessing the essential digital skills needed to navigate the modern world. 

This includes professionally, such as applying for jobs and using digital tools in the workplace, as well as in everyday life, including staying safe online, understanding your digital footprint, and carrying out tasks such as banking or booking a GP appointment. 

As part of the campaign, NCFE has provided access to its digital assessment tool for a limited period. From Monday 02 September until Friday 20 September, the usually paid-for service will be free to everyone and provides a quick assessment of an individual’s digital skills level, including any strengths and areas to work on.  

David Redden, Digital Skills Specialist at NCFE, said: “We’re living in an increasingly digital world; from train tickets to card payment-only hotels, to booking taxi journeys. So, when we say digital skills are lacking in the UK, it’s hard not to be sceptical. 

“However, there remains millions of people that don’t have the skills to get by. Being digitally savvy allows access to the best deals for shopping and utility bills, access to lucrative jobs, a greater awareness on health matters, and the ability to travel around more easily. Those who don’t have these skills are at risk of being left behind. 

“There’s also a misconception that digital skills are only a weakness for older people and younger people are on their phone and online 24/7. But this isn’t the case. That’s why we are asking people of all ages and abilities to complete our free digital assessment and get a better understanding of their own skills.” 

While digital skills can help people to navigate their day-to-day lives, they are also crucial in education. More and more learning encompasses digital tools or platforms, and this can create a barrier for those without the digital skills to engage with them.  

Learners of all ages can struggle to access digital learning resources or perform poorly on online assessments due to a lack of digital skills, rather than subject knowledge. As the system increasingly embraces emerging technology, such as artificial intelligence, it’s important to recognise the essential skills that underpin them.  

David Redden added: “This isn’t about age or demographics. I often hear stories about young people who are not able to use keyboards in the office or being confused when they touch the screen, and nothing happens.  

“Digital skills are on every Local Skills Improvement Plan as a high priority for each region, so in the same way we need to overcome embarrassment of our maths abilities, we need to be brave to admit we could improve our digital skills.” 

Later in the year, NCFE plans to release a report using the anonymised data from those who’ve completed the digital assessment to provide a snapshot of the nation’s digital skills level and highlight the areas that need to improve.