Future Digital Journeys by Tomorrow's People

Future Digital Journeys

How can digital technology help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds find and keep a job? January 2013

Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................3 The role of Praxis at Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s People ..................................................................4 Key findings .............................................................................................................5 Methodology ...........................................................................................................6

1. Changes in Employer Needs............................................................................................8 2. Digital Learning Experiences .........................................................................................12 3. Digital Skills and Employer Needs .................................................................................16 Basic skills and essential tools ................................................................................17 Social networking: the digital soft skill?..................................................................17

4. Digital access and social identity...................................................................................21 5. Developing a Solution...................................................................................................25 6. Recommendations........................................................................................................27 i. Basic digital skills.................................................................................................27 ii. Online Presence .................................................................................................28 iii. Life Skills............................................................................................................28 iv. Community Engagement ...................................................................................29 v. Employability......................................................................................................30 Programme Location..............................................................................................32

Introduction More and more of the young people Tomorrow’s People helps – some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in our communities – show an interest in and aptitude for using internet-based services, with over 75% of those surveyed regularly accessing online content via their smartphones. This is in the context of an ongoing debate about digital inclusion policy and it is the reason why Praxis, the research and innovation unit of Tomorrow’s People, has looked at how organisations can improve digital ‘participation’ among marginalised young people. In the debate about new technologies, the language of digital technology, digital inclusion and digital participation is often deployed without clear, widely agreed definitions. This report seeks to analyse the relevance of digital technology to a young person’s journey into work. For the purposes of this report, digital technology is defined as internet-based and electronic ways to communicate and access information. We also use the term participation in place of inclusion - prompted both by the literature review and the views of stakeholders who already deliver intervention programmes with a strong digital element.1 In both instances, the key question is not whether disadvantaged young people can access digital information, but how they use it and we see this as an opportunity to explore how digital participation will enhance employability and improve social inclusion for marginalised groups who have traditionally been furthest from the labour market. There is no doubt that digital technology will feature even more prominently in the jobs of the future, regardless of sector or role and distinct from the case made by the Nesta ‘NextGen’ work, which recommends improvement in specialised digital ‘making’ or programming skills. Accordingly, this paper focuses on practical strategies to support the work of Tomorrow’s People and other organisations working with young people who have failed to make an effective transition from school into work. We look at activity that draws upon existing learning to deliver new thinking on how best to equip disadvantaged young people in a changing jobs market so that they improve their prospects of finding sustainable employment with opportunities for progression.

The role of Praxis at Tomorrow’s People Tomorrow’s People is a ‘doing’ organisation, delivering practical support on the ground to help long term unemployed people of all ages to get and keep a job. Praxis is the charity’s research and innovation unit. It draws on nearly 30 years of experience of delivering services on the frontline to shape interventions and develop new tools which directly support unemployed people on their journey into work.

Support from Three Since Three launched the UK’s first mobile broadband network in 2003 we have seen an incredible transformation in how people access and use the internet. Smartphones and now tablets place the internet in the palm of our hands opening new opportunities to connect and share immediately. With the internet now so central to how we work and play it is vital that we consider what this means for those who are less digitally confident, particularly those who already find it difficult to access work or training. This paper is an important contribution to that debate and Three is delighted to support it. (Julie Minns, Head of Public Policy & Corporate Responsibility)

Key findings 1.

There is a growing evidence base that suggests that competency and confidence in using digital technology will be a key skill in a broad range of future work environments.

It is in the education sector primarily where progressive methods to support new ways of learning are to be found.

A programme of work to encourage digital participation must blend real-life and on-line experiences in order to provide effective support for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Numeracy and literacy remain key skills for employers, but the acquisition of ‘soft skills’ is becoming almost as important.

The use of social media is emerging as a ‘digital soft skill’, though few young people appear aware of how to capitalise on this.

There is a lack of awareness of the need to present a ‘professional’ profile online and the value this adds when seeking work.

While access remains a barrier to digital participation, real life issues faced by vulnerable young people can manifest as inappropriate behaviour in online environments, which further narrows opportunities for employment.

Digital media presents a good opportunity for young people to connect with communities and raise their own social ‘capital’, which in turn has a positive effect on self-esteem, confidence, motivation and aspiration to succeed.

Methodology This report aims to build on the research into access to digital technology and the labour market already in the public domain. Such research tends to take a broad look at the issue of access to digital technology across the whole population, with some studies exploring the link between socio-economic disadvantage and internet access. However, our work focuses on the needs and experiences of our service users. Accordingly, we conducted a survey of 108 young people involved in our programmes and ran a series of focus groups in five locations around England and Scotland, so that we could weave in anecdotal evidence from young people to inform our thinking on existing need. In order to think through service delivery issues, we ran a project development day with frontline staff and young participants to build practical recommendations. This primary research offers a valuable basis on which to inform wider practice in youth intervention work, in particular the delivery of employment support services. The opening section of the report looks at current and expected changes in the labour market. Our findings reveal a world of work emerging that is more and more reliant on digital technology. The effect that this will have on future employment is considered in addition to the issue of digital access. The next section reviews approaches to and experiences of digital skills building. It assesses the work of schools in providing IT skills in order to better understand the predicament typical of many when they leave formal schooling and looks at the progressive approaches to using digital tools in education. What employers demand with respect to digital skills is the next issue the report explores. We analyse the types of digital skills that are required and ask whether these are skills which can be considered separately from so called life skills or â&#x20AC;&#x153;soft skills.â&#x20AC;? The fourth section looks at digital access in the context of wider social disadvantage. There is a wealth of literature on access to the internet and related technologies; however, we seek to combine this with the knowledge gained from the first hand accounts of young people to better understand their experiences. The report then assesses problems of social capital and social exclusion. The final section of the report outlines our project modelling process and makes recommendations for the type of project we believe is most likely to prepare young people from disadvantaged communities to use digital technology in the work environment.

The report is not intended as an exhaustive analysis of how young people use digital media, nor does it seek to address broader labour market skills deficits. Its aim is to provide a credible base on which establish new services that genuinely address the needs of the young people we work with.

1. Changes in Employer Needs Case Study: Dennis Despite serious involvement with south London gangs, 20 year-old Dennis was motivated to find a way out to a new life. Signing up to the Metropolitan Police X-it programme was his first positive step. Driven by a desire to support his mother and three siblings, Dennis began voluntary work and started his own creative projects, including photography, film and running the www.Endz2Endz.com urban website. His breakthrough came when he joined the Tomorrow’s People In-2-Work programme. His enthusiasm, intelligence and talent quickly marked him out, and his commitment and ambition was clear. Examples such as Dennis’ present themselves time after time on the frontline of our work. Evidently, a number of factors played a part in the journey that Dennis chose, but noticeably part of the journey he took was online. Dennis’ story reflects the trend identified by the 2011 Oxford Internet Survey (Oxis) of strong uptake with digital media by younger age groups. Oxis identifies that digital media use is at its highest in the youngest age groups surveyed - distinguishing between ‘first’ and ‘next’ generation users of digital media (who tend to be online almost by default). While this group does not solely comprise young people, there is recognition that younger generations are online more often, using a range of different mediums to access their information.

Source: Oxis 2011

For many young people, the use of technology has blended into their lives in such a way that it is not separated from everyday activity, prompting the label ‘digital natives’. The growth in use of digital technology has gone hand in hand with more affordable, useable mobile technology. In the UK, Ofcom noted that media activity undertaken by over half of 16-24 year olds’ is simultaneous with other activities and that while we are doing more, it is costing less.2 Ofcom also points to the spread of broadband availability in the UK, which while still seriously lacking in some areas, combines with lower costs to erode concerns over access as a barrier to participation if future market trends in consumer access continue. The experiences recorded by Tomorrow’s People staff are therefore not unique and importantly for our teams, there appears to be employability benefits linked to effective digital media activity. The work of the charity RaceOnline2012 for example, underlines the broader appreciation of digital know-how with their research showing that someone is 25% more likely to find work when they have web skills, and, once in that job, they’ll earn an average of 10% more. Whether you are a digital native or technology Luddite, the fact is that digital technology is a ubiquitous part of modern life and work. E-Skills - the sector skills council for business and information technology claims that technology is now a vital skill for all sectors in today’s business world, and better use of technology in business could create a £35bn boost in UK productivity. Digital technology, they claim “will underpin the majority of future job creation in Western economies.3 Naturally, this informs the shape and needs of the modern labour market, with US labour market experts suggesting that as much as 65% of jobs of the future have not yet been invented.4 What does this mean for the type of young people supported by Tomorrow’s People and other similar organisations? For many of the participants of our programmes, finding work is a daunting prospect. With the number of 16-24 year olds out of work standing at 957,000 in November 2012, the pressure is severe on those with the weakest record of educational attainment, few skills and lack of work experience. Worryingly, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) projects a decline in the kind of entry-level roles that have

typically provided the first rung on the ladder for those starting out in the world of work. UKCES notes that traditional skilled trades occupations are set to shrink by 7%, with a bigger decrease in both secretarial work and in process, machine and plant operative roles (both by 11%) in the decade to 20205. For young people with low skills seeking entry-level work the focus has to be on service-based roles, which have seen around a 13% rise overall. Yet the predicted job increases fall well short of those entry level roles being lost in other areas and jobs in this sector tend to have a high turnover, with short-term and part time contracts, all diminishing the chances of sustained work. This contrasts with a growth in skilled, ‘white-collar’ occupations with significant use of digital technology. Indeed, some economists have attributed a growth in wage inequality since the 1980s to the unprecedented growth in technology in the workplace since that time.6 This phenomenon, known as “skills-biased technological change” sees those with technology-based skills gain a long-term advantage in the labour market.7 How, therefore, can we help the next generation of job seekers, particularly those who are already furthest from the labour market, adapt to this changing environment? There are two crucial parts of a job seeker’s digital journey to understand: •

Firstly, the job search process itself is increasingly performed online. 90% of new jobs require basic internet skills and many new opportunities are advertised online.8 Tomorrow’s People already focuses on ensuring young people are able to complete job search and applications online; however, the techniques and tools that young people should use to boost their personal profile online are not well understood, especially for those who are furthest from the labour market. If we are going to give this cohort the help they really need in this area, we need to better understand the issue of to access digital technology.

•

The second and more complex area to address is the perceived online ‘skills’ necessary for new entrants to the world of work. While we don’t expect all young people to find work within the technology sector itself, it is clear that future, generic work practices will place a heavy emphasis on the need for certain skills and aptitudes when using digital tools.

Evidence shows that helping young people become familiar with technology can improve future career earnings.9 In a number of industries traditionally offering opportunities to Tomorrow’s People clients, certain digital tools may soon become a minimum requirement even at entry-level. These jobs are increasingly likely to

encompass routine and semi-skilled work which would not previously have perceived digital technology in this way. For example: In the construction industry, a new ‘app’ to aid site clean up has been designed by London-based builder software company SmartBuilder, a provider of software for on-site tablet computers. The company has designed its products specifically for mobile technology like tablets and smartphones. It can be used on construction sites to make sure of the quality of work and to quickly spot where there are defects on a job. For larger construction projects it will give workers on-site a link through to planners and architects in order to report on progress, ‘creating a valuable audit trail and helping firms improve quality continuously through analyses and reports.’ In the retail industry, price optimisation software can be used at the level of individual stockroom to set everyday prices. A good example can be found on offer from software firm SAS. Their ‘Vendor Assessment’ tool allows workers on the shop floor to set and manage prices, create promotional prices and identify slow-selling stock, allowing them to adjust prices down accordingly. It also helps predict stock needs in a shop so that popular goods are ordered in automatically to avoid retailers running out. Again, much of this is likely to be done through mobile technology, on the shop floor. In care homes, tablet-based software allows care providers to deliver patient care while accessing and updating their records on mobile devices, provided by technology firm H.E.T. Software. While the product description is based in the administrative side of care home management, there are also uses for the creation of evidence-based care plans that integrate with daily notes and the management of medication provided to patients. While much emphasis has been on the development of software programmes that can help make processes more efficient, the introduction of mobile technology opens up the possibility of interactive online content that is an asset for both employees and customers. Although the spread of mobile digital tools is relatively new in non office-based work, the signs are that while manual and skilled trade roles will always require more ‘hands-on’ work, should an employee progresses into more supervisory posts, familiarity with mobile, online content will become essential.

2. Digital Learning Experiences ‘For too many pupils, computer teaching can be little more than a glorified typing course.’ Shadow Education Minister, Stephen Twigg The Shadow Minister’s comments were made in response to the Ofsted report, ‘ICT in schools 2008-11’, which examines how schools have prioritised office skills over skills such as website design, online content creation or programming. Growing calls for such skills focus attention on the content of schools’ ICT syllabus, but less on the social barriers that young people face to formal learning and the impact this has on their ability to use digital technology effectively. Certainly the argument in favour of skills to promote digital ‘creation’ is well made, and one we would support. However, it is at a more fundamental level that this report seeks support for disadvantaged young people. Over the last couple of decades schools in the UK have invested heavily in hardware, meaning that for most pupils there is at least equipment in place to access to digital technology. However, there are other obstacles that pupils face; if they have been struggling in other areas of education, such as literacy and numeracy, this is likely to inhibit both their confidence and understanding of information online. For Key Stage 2 pupils, 53.5% eligible for free school meals reach the expected level in English and mathematics, compared with 75.5% of pupils who are not eligible. This gap widens over the course of secondary school; only 4% of those eligible for free school meals at 15 continue to study at university, compared with 33% of their peers10. This means that disadvantaged young people are most likely to leave school at 16 with fewer academic qualifications and a poor understanding of digital technology. It is clear to us that the lack of confidence, motivation and self-esteem founded in other aspects of educational ‘failure’, has a knock on effect digital participation. This presents a challenge to the education sector with regard to the ways by which institutional learning can adapt to meet the needs of young people on the margins at the same time as it meets the needs of employers in a digital age. The changing reality of the world of work suggests that rather than just learning to read, “21st century literacy is about reading to learn and developing the capacity and motivation to identify, understand, interpret, create and communicate knowledge. Only a few countries promote such a broad concept of literacy in their instructional practices and assessments, but more will surely follow.”11

Case Study: Tideway School Jim Fanning, Deputy Head Teacher at Tideway School with responsibility for digital learning, says he takes it for granted that students must leave school with literacy “in the broadest sense”, including digital literacy. As a specialist technology school, Tideway is particularly focused on digital learning and he notes that that the skills of students in this area can often be overestimated. For example the school’s intranet was designed as a “Facebook looka-like”, on the basis that “because this technology has been with them ever since they were born, that somehow they take to this technology. [But] for a lot of the specific technologies we use in school, youngsters do require a lot of specific training.” Jim Fanning compares the notion of ‘digital natives’ understanding technology to the idea that the first generation that grew up with cars was born knowing how to drive. The experience at Tideway School underlines the fact that students need not just training in basic software programmes, but also in using social and communication programmes appropriately. A forward-thinking approach to the way that people learn and the benefits that digital technology can have on young people’s formative experiences is well codified in the field of educational technology. Research in this discipline has prompted useful thinking about how digital technology can be employed to improve the learning experiences and social inclusion of marginalised young people. The combination of interactive learning and shared experiences via online forums has been identified by young people as key to their engagement and interest retention12. An Australian government report on this subject unearths useful detail in relation to the way that young people are engaged in their education through ‘e-learning’ tools (as shown in figure 1 over the page).13

Young people’s views: Our focus groups with young people on the Tomorrow’s People Working it Out programme found very mixed views on the nature of school provision. Some could not recall learning anything useful in school IT lessons, most recalled learning how to use basic programmes like Microsoft Excel, and a few others recounted interesting examples of creating and using web-based content. No one reported any specific link made between school teaching and possible employment-based use of technology.

While the setting for the learning practices is a school environment in the Australian example, the application of the skills referred to in the research is very much vocational. The acquisition of ‘softer’ skills is a key feature and the link that the research makes to the tools that are employed to achieve the learning outcomes are a useful guide for any programme of digital education. A wide range of tools are identified in this work, presenting a potential menu of tools that might be employed in a support programme.

Figure 1

Source: Australian Flexible Learning Framework 2009

Not all are convinced by technology as a learning tool and warn against the over-reliance on it as an educational tool. A recent report commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation accepts that technology has a role to play in improving learning, but it specifically recommends that usage be part of a package of activity and delivered via short but focused interventions.14

It is worth acknowledging that with such rapid change in the tools available and the delivery hardware, there is a clear need to keep options as open when developing a programme of activity. It is clear that there is plenty to be learned from how the education sector is evolving and perhaps failing to equip young people with future skills needs. The focus of Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s People is on the young people who are hardest to help and who are often less well served by traditional approaches to teaching IT, and who, as a result, suffer particularly in the transition from education into work. However, IT teaching in schools has also been identified as a broader concern for national government.

3. Digital Skills and Employer Needs

In 2011, a report commissioned by Tomorrow’s People to understand the support needs of our clients, carried out a programme of interviews with staff and jobseekers on the frontline. The report identified that young people need to: •

build up their timekeeping skills and understand about travel planning

•

develop key ‘soft skills’ such as communication, team working, motivation and self-confidence

•

achieve a mix of basic skills and vocational training to support jobsearch and build job-readiness.15

A strong body of research supports this claim, in particular where there is a concern about the challenges faced by young people.16 For employers, evidence of these ‘soft’ skills is a key feature when assessing young people as employees and it is too often deemed to be lacking. When employers are surveyed on the employability of school leavers, the three ‘R’s of reading, writing and arithmetic are still highly relevant, but almost as much emphasis is placed on softer skills such as: 17 •

Oral and written communication

•

Professionalism and work ethic

•

Self-management

•

Teamwork and collaboration skills

•

Problem-solving skills

A key measure of success for Tomorrow’s People is not just that someone gets a job, but that they keep it and make progress. We design our programmes to ensure that this happens.18 However, long term success for the young people we work with depends as much on

things like self-awareness, determination and resilience as on skills and qualifications - a combination of the ‘softer skills’ that employers seek with more tangible, vocational abilities. Given the key role of digital technology in our personal and professional lives, we need to equip young people with the specific tools they need.

Basic skills and essential tools Just as the soft skills involved in written communication require at least basic literacy, so any soft skills involved in digital technology depend on an equivalent range of basic skills. It is concerning to note that according to ‘The 2011 Skills for Life’ survey, conducted by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills, 20% of 16- to 18-year-olds who do not meet the lowest entry level requirements for word processing and 10% fail to meet the requirements for emailing.19 The survey attempts to assess all basic skills levels in the 16 to 64-year-old population, and found a consistent correlation between IT skills and literacy and numeracy levels. By contrast, just 1% of 16 to 18-year-olds lacked basic familiarity with internet usage and simple computer tasks. This indicates that even those young people who would struggle with email and word processing could still use some form of internet technology in their journey into work or as a part of their job. It is this basic level Young people’s views: of ability, near universal even among In focus group discussions, many young people felt struggling young people, which offers digitally competent in their personal lives, but didn’t potential to be transferred to workplaces think of their recreational use of the internet as in the future. relevant to the workplace. As a consequence, they didn’t know how to represent the skills involved on a CV. They were frequently able to identify ways that Social networking: the software applications and ‘PC skills’ such as word digital soft skill? processors etc. could be used in the workplace, though there was little recognition of how mobile Given the unreliability of ’future-gazing’ technology is being integrated in the world of work. and the fast pace of technological change, Equally, there was little evidence that any had made it is unlikely that many employers will the link between their use of online social media and have a firm idea of the specific digital searching for a job. Online job search was largely a a skills that may be required in 10 to 20 negative experience for young people we spoke years’ time. However, the more generic, with. For incidence, some had tried to access the sector-based indicators predicted by JobCentre Plus on their mobiles but the website UKCES do give us some clues, alongside mobile access was perceived as very poor. technology experts, such as The Economist’s Digital Editor Tom Standage, who states that wrongly, most employers

see ability in areas such as social networking as ‘time-wasting’: “What you might call social not-working … in fact the opposite is true. I think the chances are that the future of enterprise software looks like Facebook …people entering the workforce at this point are used to using social media, so if you give them enterprise software that looks like Facebook, they'll feel right at home.”20 While social networking has been used by digital marketing experts since its emergence online, its application in the broader professional context is yet to take hold. However, to interpret Standage at face value is probably a red herring. While social networking may well have a more significant role to play in future work practices, there is a broader theme that emerges in assumptions we make relating to digital skills. Case Study: Crusader Vans Dave Shoebridge is manager of Crusader Vans, the largest onlinebased retailer in the rural town of Heathfield, East Sussex. He explains: “We sell vans. You wouldn’t really associate social media with that. One of the things that we’ve seen over the last few months is that social media is becoming more important in the search engine rankings. Because of changes to the way Google ranks sites, it is becoming more and more important not only to have good, strong content for your website and what you do but to have a lot of social media links.” A former Tomorrow’s People client found that his experience of social media was of unexpected value when he joined the company: “Like any other kid I used Facebook, but not like I use it here… I never considered doing any sort of social networking… I got here and I really loved it. The IT teaching I got as school had little to do with the skills I use now.” However, Dave Shoebridge does need a minimum level of skill: “You can’t lose focus on the skills from Excel, Word – I couldn’t employ someone who didn’t know about them. The grounding in the basics of computer programmes is fundamental and I couldn’t employ anybody that didn’t have it.” The Crusader Vans employment story is a happy accident which enabled a young person without work to ‘migrate’ a set of skills that

in other circumstances would not have been identified as appropriate or useable in the world of work. This same theme emerged with other young people we interviewed who also appeared unaware of the potential that social networking skills might present. It certainly provides food for thought in terms of the structure of programme design, alongside the need for basic skills in ‘off-line’ tools like word processing and spreadsheets. Young people’s views: One of our focus groups was unanimous that employers would not be interested in their ability to use social networks and would prefer basic skills such as word processing. One participant, aged 16, initially agreed, but then mentioned that she had set up a Facebook pages to advertise her mother’s business to the local rural area. This brought in additional business, and indicates that even in a relatively small community, social media can be important in attracting new customers. “You can make a business out of it,” she explained, adding, “Mum just doesn’t know how to use Facebook.”

As part of this research, we asked 108 young people enrolled in our Working it Out programme, to tell us about their main activity online. The overwhelming majority cited communication with friends and family as a key activity and when pressed on what else they might go online, the responses were far more varied and included shopping, gaming and job seeking.

What was clear, however, is the low level of knowledge about online tools and services that might be accessed to increase employability and the lack of connection to the world of work. By virtue of not working, many are not thinking about how to use and interact online from a professional perspective. A recent report by the think tank Policy Exchange found that a large majority of unemployed young people (aged 16-24) reported high levels of interest in using digital methods to help them find work, training and education opportunities, but found existing tools unappealing and difficult to use.21 This contrasts with the fact that online social networks such as LinkedIn have enjoyed phenomenal growth and are fast becoming the crucial relationship-building environments important for recruitment. A 2009 survey conducted by CareerBuilder found that 45% of companies use social media sites to screen potential candidates, with most of them looking at Facebook (29%) and LinkedIn (26%), as well as Twitter and personal blogs.22 More recent research by ExecuNet showed from a survey that 77% of employers were using social networking to vet future employees; 35% ruled out candidates based on what they found. 23

However, the majority of employers had formed a positive impression of candidates from their online presence. Indeed, how employers interpret candidateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soft skills is revealed from the survey, with many citing an ability to get a feel for the personality, creativity and ability to communicate ideas. Crucially too, third party endorsements found online played some part in influencing hiring managers.

Youth interventions such as those provided by Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s People are in place to help vulnerable young people to remove themselves from damaging and risky behaviour and improve their life chances so that they are better equipped to enter the world of work. The migration of negative behaviour from off to online environments prompted us to think more carefully about the social barriers that in turn affect online activity.

4. Digital access and social identity

Despite the fact that most young people today will have had some access to the internet, certainly at school and possibly at home, 10% have stopped going online. This is an issue particularly among the most disadvantaged groups. A survey by the employment charity Catch-22 showed that 1 in 5 of the young people it works with has no access to the internet. 24 Almost half of the UK's adult population who do not use the internet live in social housing.25 It is evident that in certain disadvantaged communities that the lack of digital skills is an intergenerational problem.

Source: Oxis 2011

To understand this correlation between social disadvantage and digital exclusion, we need to look more closely at the difference between those who use the internet and those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. As shown in the graph below, only 31% of those without basic education use the internet. Yet those with a basic education are online as much as those who have completed further or higher education.26 Despite this apparent relationship between basic skills and internet usage, a RaceOnline2012 survey found that the great majority of those who do not use the internet gave interesting additional reasons for their behaviour. Figure 2, over the page, shows the self-reported perceived barriers to internet usage.

Expense, for example, is the most commonly cited barrier among 2534-year-olds and16-24-year-olds though the sample size is too small to be statistically significant.27 Given the reduction in access costs already discussed in this report, the cost barrier is increasingly an issue of perception and confidence rather than one of means. Another barrier to usage common to all age groups was the perception that the internet was not interesting or useful – indicated as “Not for me” below. When surveyed about specific potential usage, non-users show low levels of interest in the more socially beneficial applications: across all age groups, 10% of people are interested in using it to access local and national government, a decline of 3% from 2010. This data indicates that there are attitudinal barriers to use of digital technology which are compounded by a lack of skills. Figure 2

Source: RaceOnline2012

The fact that many young people are not confident about using digital technology and do not go online as a result, challenges the perception at the turn of the millennium that a young generation of ‘digital natives’ is emerging; rather there is a heterogeneous group of young people with a variety of levels of understanding.28 While research indicates that young people generally have greater access to technology, socio-economic status and education levels also affect the level of engagement and how much they benefit from that access.29 This means that age is only one factor, rather than the main determinant, in assessing someone’s familiarity with technological resources.

Once we appreciate that the digital landscape is affected by a range of factors, we can see that terms such as the 'digital divide' or a 'participation gap' gives a one dimensional picture, because they suggest that exclusion can be solved through education alone.30 However, a young person experiencing digital exclusion is likely to face a range of problems such as poor education, a lack of authority figures and feelings of isolation and is more likely to have lower selfconfidence and low social capital. It is of central importance that issues of personal development are addressed in tandem. Joanna Goode argues that a young person's 'technology identity' is part of his or her 'social identity', which relates to factors such as how involved Young people’s views: they are with their local community and Among our focus groups, the overwhelming majority in what context.31 On this basis, being of respondents had a phone with internet access socially engaged becomes a precursor to and such capability was regarded as normal. This technological engagement. In past reflects changes in the affordability and availability debates, access to technology has been of such technology in more recent times. seen as a way to help young people and Additionally, games consoles were some increase social mobility, but these households’ sole means of internet access, a fact not barriers show that even if young people clearly accounted for within the OxIS studies. have greater access to technology, they still need to overcome issues relating to their skills, engagement and aspirations. Failure to build social skills and related personal development could mean that existing inequalities simply extend into the digital arena. This conclusion is supported by the 2008 study by the Department for Communities and Local Government, which found that young people required hands-on advice and guidance in order to overcome digital barriers and that an online experience cannot substitute for a personal service: “Young people… preferred to access services in person, visiting a local office and having discussions face to face. If left to complete a project at home with only online support, they were more likely to feel overwhelmed and to give up when faced with obstacles. Instead, they needed hands-on advice and guidance in order to continue their progress.” This reinforces the existing knowledge and experience within Tomorrow’s People and similar organisations, where face-to-face engagement with young people in a supportive and trusted environment has a strong track record of success. Many of the young people who face the biggest barriers feel that they have no connection with or investment in their local community. Improving these links is an area where technology and locally-focused

online communities can play an important role in encouraging engagement and giving young people an opportunity to make a contribution. Ellen Helsper and Rebecca Eynon provide useful commentary here, finding just 7% of young people use the internet for civic participation; the much higher Young people’s views: usage of social networks among this With a few exceptions, participants did not perceive a group is not seen as building social capital serious gap between young people and older adults or engagement with a wider community. 32 33 with regard to technology. However, a group in Plymouth latched onto a broader theme, citing the fact that they felt that many older people held The important issue of social, emotional negative views about them. There were echoes of this and civic engagement form part of what feeling in other groups, though less specifically. On the British Educational Communications the subject of using digital technology to engage with and Technology Agency (Becta) identified the wider community or with civic and political issues, as ‘identity capital’ - an overarching term focus group participants were hesitant. While it was that encompasses social, human and generally agreed that approaching politicians and cultural capital, as well as a psychological public figures online would be relatively easy and that notion of personal agency. 34 As part of an speaking to them face-to-face would be more holistic approach to personal intimidating. Additionally, the latent feeling that development, this identity capital must be emerged from these discussions was that in both on seen as a resource to be built both off and and off line environments, their views and opinions on line, distinct from the skill, as Schunk might not be considered worthwhile. terms it, of ‘self-efficacy’. Just as identity capital is built through relations with the external world (social interactions and connections, cultural knowledge, etc), self-efficacy is a product of ‘a) mastery experiences; b) social persuasions; c) vicarious experience; and d) somatic and emotional states.’35 Becta finds that both identity capital and self-efficacy are important in increasing the likelihood that young people can re-engage in learning opportunities. The report goes on to suggest that such personal development may give young people a rare opportunity to break with the disadvantages of their background by building an identity and voice for themselves in virtual environments that do not present the same pressures as real life and indeed offer new opportunities. It is here that a blended programme of activity of one-to-one personal support and guidance coupled with online tools usage and identity enhancement is likely to have the most beneficial impact for young people. In particular, the use of online tools to enhance civic participation holds real opportunities for youth intervention prorgammes. If this can be done at the same time as equipping young people with relevant employment skills, both technical and nontechnical, then we are a good way to the design of a programme that has the potential to provide real dividends for young people immediately and in the longer term.

5. Developing a Solution

The focus of Tomorrow’s People is on helping people get and keep a job and this research clearly indicates that if we are to continue doing that effectively for disadvantaged young people in particular, then we need to ensure that digital literacy, as well as digital skills are key elements in the holistic support programmes we design. This research identifies several areas where we need to focus our attention an intervention is required to help young people into work. There is a gap between how young people in deprived communities access the internet and access in the wider population’s level of internet access. There is a difference between how those young people use digital technology and how it is used in the workplace. There is inconsistency in the way that digital technology is learned in the formal education system, often leaving young people ill equipped to respond to the needs of employers. There is also a close link between personal and social skills and behaviours offline and online; this needs addressing in some cases in order to meet with employer expectations. To ensure that the solutions we put forward meet the needs of young people, we worked with On Road Media as a partner on this phase of the research. On Road Media has a track record of using innovative technology to work with marginalised groups on such projects such as “Digital Undoc”, supporting children with irregular immigration status; “Savvy Chavvy”, a social network for young people from the Traveller community; and Trans Media Action, a project to improve portrayals of transgender people in the media.

Digital Technology Workshop with On Road Media Tomorrow’s People and On Road Media delivered a digital media workshop for six participants in our youth programme in Hammersmith, London and three frontline staff. The sample group created videos in teams, which were uploaded to YouTube and posted on their individual blogs. They conducted interviews with each other in the local area, turned them into a series of two-minute videos, and then shared these in a digital training Facebook group. The ability to communicate and present ideas, and to plan, execute and develop online content, created a tangible sense of achievement across the group. The following consultation with staff and the research team focused on ways that digital media skills training could be used to add value to new or existing employment support programmes. We reviewed ways that the acquisition of digital media skills could boost a young person’s confidence and self-esteem, improve their behaviour and motivation and open up opportunities and avenues which might not have been available otherwise. The results of the workshop are detailed in the framework below. We examined the ‘user journey’ and how this should comprise some of the key outputs and outcomes that are successful in existing programmes: Outputs • Self-awareness • Confidence / self-esteem raising • A voice – a place in society and raised awareness of issues and the barriers they face • Self-awareness • Working in a team

Outcomes • Jobs – progression in jobs, further education or training • Motivation to use acquired skills • Better connections with their community / family unit • Lasting ambition, determination, motivation

The workshop confirmed much of the research that we had collected and as a result, we decided to build a working trial around our Working it Out programme – an intensive, work-focused programme for 16-24s addressing such issues as lack of skills and confidence and delivered in key locations around the UK.

6. Recommendations In this report we have looked at the way different digital tools can be used to enhance learning and improve employability. The next step for us is to design interventions which include digital tools as part of a holistic programme of employability support for young people. Sometimes it will be a simple case of digitally recording and circulating activities or building blogs which help participants to tell the story of their progress and successes. Whatever a programme looks like, we believe that every intervention must include six key elements:

i. Basic digital skills During any process of activity undertaken, we shouldn’t confuse participants with too much new technology, too quickly. To ease young people into digital media activities, a basic introduction should be delivered via a closed blog set up by staff as a ‘safe’ way to get involved in the process from the start of the programme. Staff should identify where a participant has an acute lack of skills and assess the need for basic IT training such as word processing and spreadsheets. A key aspect of this work and a theme which would run throughout any programme would be the language and ‘etiquette’ of digital communication in a work environment. ‘Traditional’ trust-building, personal and social development would continue to be delivered off-line as in current programmes. The wider value of social networking and ‘professionalising’ skills would be highlighted early in the programme, once participants are at ease in the group.

Tools:

•

Free, web-based email programmes such as Gmail and Yahoo Mail are key tools that participants should be able to use.

•

Participants would access Microsoft Office training via the Britain Works free IT training curriculum, in order to ensure that key software packages are understood and integrated into programme delivery where needed.

•

The ability to acquire low cost access to Office applications is also a feature of the programme, with word processing and spreadsheet usage key.

•

To help young people find their way around their local area and to give them confidence in unfamiliar areas, a Google Maps

challenge would be set. Young people would use online tools to find, research and plan their journey there. Once a participant has familiarity with these tools, he or she can progress through the proposed programme to further build skills and confidence.

ii. Online Presence A key concern identified by the research was that recruiters frequently check an applicants’ online presence. This can help create a positive first impression or immediately eliminate a candidate from consideration. A related concern is the awareness and ability of young people to protect their personal information while maintaining a presence on social media. Accordingly, early in the programme, staff would conduct sessions in online profile housekeeping and how to build a professional online presence.

Tools: To discover any negative or harmful content, participants would be shown how to Google themselves and see their public profile online. Either individually or as an early group exercise, staff would help young people to identify what is publicly visible on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. To build a positive personal profile online, About.me would be an ideal opener for each young person’s online presence. This site allows young people to start with a very basic profile of themselves, which they then expand as the programme continues. Participants could add layers to this by inserting tools that give their profile a more professional feel, such as a LinkedIn page and links to video content they have produced or been part of during the programme.

iii. Life Skills Confidence and motivation are at the heart of the set of skills Tomorrow’s People aims to give participants. Technology can help both to direct this and to represent the results. Each young person would be encouraged to develop a digital action plan that tracks their usage of tools and records their personal development. Initially, this would involve asking them to record something about themselves and include it in an upcoming group activity. This digital action plan could include: •

Filming an elevator pitch for each person to present themselves and allow the group to reflect on each other’s presentation.

•

Creating a short film of a young person’s progression since they joined the programme.

•

Engaging with the business sector via digital media, particularly those which offer mentoring to young people. Participants would be encouraged to research companies online and record their experiences with their mentor on a blog. Young people would record corporate events they attend by tweeting, taking photographs and shooting videos.

•

Sharing knowledge with family members at home and promoting the tools and benefits of taking more explorative and informative steps online.

•

Team working skills are essential on the journey to employment. Ideas for group activities using digital media include a video reflection exercise which tracks a participant’s progress from arrival to graduation and presentation of the community engagement activities.

@ •

•

Tools:

Set up a team website as a complement to the individual blogs and to share content, ideas and experiences. Blogging tools like WordPress and sites like Facebook provide the basic building blocks for site development. The ‘Working Well Design Challenge’, initiative sponsored by the Design Council and Nominet Trust provides a tool that would add value to the personal development process.36 Service designers Spark and Mettle have developed The Discoverables (discoverable.es) online application to help young people improve personal development and represent what they have achieved. Though still in its testing stage, the aims and ambitions of this project fit well with our recommended activity.

iv. Community Engagement The life skills outlined above would be enhanced and put to good use in the community later in the programme. As part of the Tomorrow’s People Working it Out programme, participants would identify, design and implement a series of ’Community Challenges’ to enable young people to ‘put something back’ into their local community.

Currently, Facebook is used by the staff running these programmes to communicate activity and successes around the community challenges and we would develop this approach by using digital technology to help young people develop their own views and ideas around a central, community-focused theme. By engaging in ‘social reporting’ or ‘citizen journalism’ participants would be able to upload information and views on the project communal blog. The power of this type of engagement is that it opens a dialogue between young people and the local community, to include community leaders, councillors, local MPs, residents and local businesses. Digital community challenges could involve making videos about local issues, and using interviews with councillors, community leaders and locals as a trail of evidence around which to build ideas and initiatives. Young people would take on specific digital media activities such as blogging, local reporting and photographing the challenges. Through a social network group, key ideas would be presented online and fed back to the community ‘challengers’. The project may continue longer term, but the key outcome is that participants are responsible for a thread of live digital activity, reports, analysis and research as part of the personal development process. External contributions from local politicians teach participants about how local democracy works and about the opportunity to engage with local residents and employers about community issues. Tools: Scottish service designers, Snook, developed a digital tool called The Matter (thisisthematter.com), as part of the Working Well Design Challenge. Trialled with Edinburgh City Council, The Matter provides a digital platform for young people to air views on themes posed to them by politicians and community leaders and could provide a platform to engage with the type of participants that Tomorrow’s People supports.

Media packages such as Windows Movie Maker are very suitable for new learners and would be used to present personal projects professionally.

v. Employability Staff would continue with the theme of online profile development and housekeeping, focusing on LinkedIn, Facebook and CVs. As they learn how to represent themselves online, young people would begin planning interviews and mock up videos of phone conversations and the interview process which would be filmed by the group and

reviewed together. The action plan for job searching should be digitalised. The achievements recorded as part of the digital community challenge would be added to online CVs to create a ‘3D’ picture of what a young person has gained from participating in the programme. Tools: Participants would use video to promote their CV and develop it into a ‘live’ document by reading it to camera and playing back. The pages participants create on LinkedIn and About.me, would host this ‘3D’ CV alongside evidence of their involvement in local community challenges.

Online job search is already of existing youth employability programmes and a digitally-focussed programme would support this activity and make good use of links to the professional ‘digital footprint’ that each participant has created as part of the programme. Plotr.co.uk offers an opportunity for young people to explore career choices and develop their thinking about their own skills, interests and aptitudes by learning from the videos presented by people who work in different industry sectors. The information is aimed at 11-25 year olds and the presentation is easily digested and navigated.

vi. Tracking Progress By the end of employment support programme, the opportunities available to participants have been fully discussed and participants understand where their interests lie and what sectors they should focus on. On completion of the programme young people would be encouraged to stay in touch with frontline staff both in person and through the range of social networks and blogging sites used as part of the programme. They should be especially encouraged to offer feedback on their progress for new participants.

Programme Location Tomorrow’s People has made a strategic commitment to growing its work with young people. As part of this we are looking for funding to support a programme of employment support activity in East London, an area which is classified as having an acute youth unemployment problem. Given that the Work Foundation (amongst others) identified 18-24% of young people across the East London boroughs as not in employment, education or training (NEETs), we would consider this area to be an ideal location for trialling a new youth programme.37 There has been a decline in entry-level, manual and operative jobs in the area, in no small part due to the closure of much of Ford’s business. This has prompted fears of a growth in young people growing up in families where redundancy and unemployment have an effect on their own prospects and aspirations. Equally, the proximity of East London boroughs to the UK’s growing digital hub in and around Old Street’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ has led to policy discussions at a local level about how young people can be better equipped to take part in this sector’s growth. For example, the Barking Technical Skills College was opened in September 2012, offering IT and multi-media courses and a new diploma in social media, as well as programming-based courses for young people with more technical aptitude. A recent report by Centre for London pointed to the possibility that firms currently located around Silicon Roundabout are seeking premises and employees around the Olympic Park development, making it likely that jobs in this vibrant sector will start to replace some of the manual trades that have disappeared from East London so dramatically in recent years. 38

Acknowledgements We would like to thank: Members of the Praxis Advisory Board: Amanda McIntyre, Celia Atherton, Iain Anderson, John Tizard, Liz Meek, Neil Lee, Paula McLoughlin, Simon Roberts and Baroness Stedman-Scott for their advice and guidance. Sonia McDavitt, Gina Cutner and Lottie Dexter for their research support and guidance. On-Road Media for facilitating the Project Development Day. Jim Fanning of Tideway School and Dave Shoebridge of Crusader Vans for participating in interviews. The Young Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Services team at Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s People and all current clients programme graduate participants for their invaluable support. The team at Barclays for their support, time and effort to turn the recommendations of this report into a reality. We would also like to acknowledge the generosity of Three Mobile for their support in making this report possible.

Authors: James Magowan, Director of Strategy Ronan McDonald, Research and Policy Officer

Notes 1

A round-table debate hosted by Praxis and Intellect UK in July 2012 included representatives from Go On UK, Hao2, White Box Digital, On Road Media, Nesta and Sidekick Studios. 2 Communications Market Report 2012, Ofcom (2012) 3 Strategic Skills Assessment for the Digital Economy, e-skills UK Sector Skills Council Ltd. (2010) 4 Futurework - Trends and Challenges for Work in the 21st Century, US Dept. of Labor (1999) 5 Wilson RA. and Homenidou K. - Working Futures 2010 – 2020, UKCES (2012) 6 Card D. and DiNardo J. - The Impact of Technological Change on Low-Wage Workers: A Review – In: Working and Poor: How Economic and Policy Changes Are Affecting Low-Wage Workers New York, Russell Sage Foundation (2006) 7 Fernandez RM. -Skill-Biased Technological Change and Wage Inequality: Evidence from a Plant Retooling, MIT (2001) 8 Race Online 2012 Manifesto for a Networked Nation, Race Online 2012 (2010) 9 Race Online 2012 Manifesto for a Networked Nation, Race Online 2012 (2010) 10 See: http://www.thersa.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/367003/RSA-Social-Justice-paper.pdf 11 See: http://www.oecd.org/general/thecasefor21st-centurylearning.htm 12 Lockyer B., J Johnson J. and Dyer J. - Conceptual Content Requirements for a Mobile Online Learning Community for Marginalised Youth - The Inclusion Trust (2009) 13 The Impact of E-learning on Employability Skills Development, Australian Flexible Learning Framework (2009) 14 Higgins S, Xiao Z and Katsipataki M - The Impact of Digital Technology on Learning: A Summary for the Education Endowment Foundation – Durham University (2012) 15 Personalisation, Innovation and Economic Growth – The Essentials for Tackling Long Term Unemployment - Centre for Public Service Partnerships @ the Local Government Information Unit (2011) 16 See - Sissons, P and Jones K. Lost in Transition? The changing labour market and young people not in employment, education or training The Work Froundation (2012); Bell, D. and Blanchflower, D. - Youth Unemployment: Déjà vu? Institute for the Study of Labour (2010); ACEVO Youth unemployment: the crisis we cannot afford AVECO (2012) 17 See - CIPD / KPMG Focus report on Young People (Summer 2011); The Conference Board Are They Really Ready to Work? (2011) 18 In 2010 Tank’s evaluation of Tomorrow’s People’s Working it Out programme found that 74% of completers moved into successful outcomes. A follow up report in 2011 by FTI Consulting estimated that a sustainability rate of 70% 12 months later. 19 Skills for Life, BIS (2011) 20 Fantastic futures? Technology and business in 2012, BBC , http://bbc.in/uVES6v 21 “Simple Things, Done Well” Making Practical Progress on Digital Engagement and Inclusion, Policy Exchange (2012) 22 Haefner R. - More Employers Screening Candidates via Social Networking Sites (http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-1337-Getting-Hired-More-Employers-Screening-Candidates-via-SocialNetworking-Sites/) 23 Executive Recruiters Reveal Top 3 Things that Put Candidates at Top of Hiring Slate (http://www.execunet.com/m_releases_content.cfm?id=4807) 24 Young People and the Digital Divide, Catch 22 (2010) 25 Martha Lane Fox: almost half offline population lives in social housing, The Guardian Housing Network (05/12/2011) 26 Next Generation Users: The Internet in Britain, Oxford Internet Survey (2011) 27 Internet Use and Attitudes, Ofcom (2011) 28 Prensky M. - Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, MCB University Press (2001) 29 Helsper E. and Eynon R. - Digital natives: where is the evidence? British Educational Research Journal (2009) 30 Boyd D. - Anatomy of Youth - Owning a Digital Identity, Demos (2010) 31 Goode J. - The digital identity divide: how technology knowledge impacts college students, New Media & Society (2010) 32 Perry E. and Francis B. - The Social Class Gap for Educational Achievement, The RSA (2010) 33 Helsper E. and Eynon R - Digital natives... British Educational Research Journal (2009) 34 Passey D., Williams S., Rogers C. - Assessing the potential of e-learning to support re-engagement amongst young people with Not in education, employment or training (NEET) status, BECTA (2008) 35 Passey D., Williams S., Rogers C. - Assessing the potential of e-learning… BECTA (2008) 36 See: http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-work/challenges/Communities/Working-Well-Design-Challenge/ 37 Lee N and Wright J - Off the Map? The Geography of NEETs, The Work Foundation (2011) 38 Nathan M, Vandore E and Whitehead R – A Tale of Tech City: The Future of Inner East London’s Digital Economy, Centre for London (2012)