A cornerstone of Unsheffield is identifying effective ways to get more people comfortable with using technology. UK Online Centres are at the forefront of providing training and facilities for people to become digitally engaged. They have been key to converting Future Users into able technology users, focussing on delivering practical, life-changing digital literacy skills that have practical relevance to millions of individuals.
UK Online Centres are active contributors to the digital engagement scene in Britain. Like Unsheffield they are keen to promote progressive use of technology within the third, public and education sectors. Our programme includes a Social Media Surgery for voluntary workers and those involved in learning, government and charity to drop into the event for advice on how to take advantage of social technologies to reach a wider audience.
We’re delighted that UK Online Centres have renewed their support for grassroots knowledge-sharing after backing last year’s BarCamp Sheffield, and that they are now helping Unsheffield to reach out to third sector and voluntary organisations.
Set up by the Government in 1999 to provide public access to computers, the UK online centres network plays a key role in exploiting ICT to help improve individual lives, strengthen communities and achieve social inclusion.
UK online centres provide millions of people with access to computers and the internet, plus help and advice on using them. There are 6,000 UK online centres across England, and many use myguide as the main platform to introduce web novices to the world of ICT. myguide – www.myguide.gov.uk – is a simple web platform developed by the central UK online centres team in consultation with a wide variety of partners and designed to make getting online easy and intuitive.
Within the UK, 75% of those who are at a social or financial disadvantage are also offline, and missing out on all the opportunities and benefits the internet can provide. Half of all those offline are over 65. Levelling the digital playing field is an important step towards social equity in the 21st Century, and the goal UK online centres and myguide are working towards.
Key facts:
- UK online centres engage more than 2 million people in year and support them to become digitally included
- Centres are located across the most deprived wards and 7 in 10 UK online centre users are affected by at least one indicator of social exclusion
- Approximately 50% of UK online centre users started with no formal qualifications
- 97% of UK online centre users rate their experience at centres as good or excellent
- 86% of myguide users say myguide has had a positive impact on their lives
- 40% of UK online centre users progress to education, employment-related activity or information, advice and guidance
For more information please visit www.ukonlinecentres.com.
Related posts:
- Open Invite to Social Media Surgery Unsheffield wants to help organisations from the region get going...
- Call for Social Media Surgeons Unsheffield is building on the legacy of the BashMash voluntary...
- Carl Branham: Wild Mass Guessing Online Discussion of the wild speculation on the internet being portrayed...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
[...] UK Online Centres Posted 3 minutes ago # [...]