On 26 November, the Department for Work and Pensions published its Get Britain Working Again White Paper. The document outlines current problems with training and employment initiatives in the UK and proposes reforms to achieve the government’s goal of an 80% employment rate. While the White Paper acknowledges the importance of digital skills in preparing people for the workplace, some of the proposed reforms lack clarity and sufficient provision to address the impacts of digital exclusion on accessing employment.
Those who are digitally excluded – which includes lacking a suitable device or connectivity, digital skills, and overcoming accessibility barriers – are two to three times more likely to be unemployed. Between 15–20% of people in the UK face limited digital access, and 15–30% lack the digital skills necessary for daily life. Tackling this issue is therefore an essential part of addressing low employment rates.
The White Paper recognises the need to provide essential skills training to help people upskill for employment or facilitate career progression. It identifies digital skills as essential for accessing employment, noting that too many young people leave education without adequate digital literacy training. This emphasis is welcome, given that workplaces increasingly demand sophisticated digital skills, with over 92% of employers naming digital skills as important. The paper also announces the launch of Skills England, whose first report highlights gaps in digital skills provision across the UK. As a result, one would expect this issue to be a central focus of the government’s planned changes to the skills system.
A key aspect of the government’s Get Britain Working initiative is the launch of a new digitalised jobs and careers service, with significant investment in developing and leveraging new technologies to enhance the service. While this is a positive development, and the report mentions that services will be available both online and in person, it fails to address access barriers that could limit the effectiveness of an online platform, particularly for those who are digitally excluded. The report omits critical details regarding the millions of people who lack digital access, creating a risk that a substantial segment of the population may be unable to benefit from this new service.
The government’s Youth Guarantee, introduced in the document, references a Level 2 skills qualification but does not clarify whether it will be accessible to those who are offline. Anecdotal evidence suggests that digitally excluded young people often face challenges in applying for apprenticeships or skills qualifications online, or are forced to complete applications on smartphones, which can diminish the quality of submissions. While the Youth Guarantee pledges to provide access to education, training, or employment for all young people, this commitment cannot be fulfilled without explicitly addressing digital access barriers and implementing measures to mitigate them. This is particularly concerning given that the reforms are underpinned by the principle that people who can work should, with potential consequences for those who do not engage with the government’s offers.
Although the paper’s Growth and Poverty mission recognises barriers such as poor health, caring responsibilities, and disability, it does not acknowledge digital exclusion. Consequently, there is a risk that those who are digitally excluded could be unfairly penalised if they cannot access the new employment and training systems and schemes.
Overall, the recognition of the importance of digital skills provision is encouraging. However, the lack of acknowledgment of digital poverty and its impact on people’s ability to access the new online programme, complete applications, and sign up for skills qualifications remains a critical concern.
For this reason, and given the renewed focus on digital inclusion from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, we believe that addressing digital exclusion requires a truly joined-up approach across Whitehall. We hope government departments will see the value in supporting the millions currently excluded from digital technologies and recognise that a digital-first approach can only succeed when barriers to access are removed.