Skills Action Plan

The Digital 20/20 partnership originated in 2005 when there was an extensive consultation process leading to the development of the Digital and ICT Skills Action Plan for Yorkshire and Humber and the formation of a Steering Group to oversee implementation of the Plan. Branded Digital 2010 in order to build recognition and engage partners, the Skills Action Plan took a broad-based approach covering:

• The breadth of technologies associated with traditional computing, telecommunications, the Internet and multi-media, and their uses in business, education, the public sector and our daily lives
• The development of both user and professional level skills, embracing not only desktop computing but also the spectrum of curriculum from digital literacy through to specialist disciplines such as computer science and interactive media
• The range of provision required from early years to lifelong learners

Stated aims were to:

• Provide all people in Yorkshire and the Humber with the digital and ICT skills (both user and professional) they need to access employment opportunities and progress careers
• Connect people, families and communities to economic, cultural and leisure opportunities through digital and ICT skills development
• Ensure employers in the region, and their employees, fully exploit digital and ICT as a business improvement tool
• Respond to new technologies and associated skill requirements (both user and professional) as they emerge

The Action Plan set out 37 actions specifically targeted at five groups:

Those in the current workforce

• ICT and digital media professionals both in and beyond specialist digital industries
• Users of desktop and digital media

Those in the future workforce

• Students at school, in college or at university
• Existing professionals who need to become multi-skilled as job requirements change

Those outside the workforce

• Citizens for whom digital literacy could add value to everyday life
• Those seeking employment
• Groups that are currently under-represented in sectors with an ICT and digital media dimension such as women

Those involved in information, advice and guidance services

• Advisory professionals needing a clearer understanding of digital and ICT career paths

Those involved in education and training delivery

• Teachers, trainers and lecturers needing to improve their own skills in ICT and digital media for education and training delivery across the curriculum
• Specialist teachers, trainers and lecturers in ICT and digital media subjects who need to train up in new industry curriculum
• Education and training professionals needing better understanding of digital and ICT career paths

Within these groupings, the needs of the following types of individual were identified:

• Business owners and managers coming to terms with the impact of the web on sales, marketing and customer relationship management
• Technical experts developing applications, whether for competitive advantage or social wellbeing
• Applications specialists managing more and more networks, desktops, databases, user accounts and websites in an age of information insecurity
• Information workers needing to transform data into business intelligence and winning decisions
• Every day IT users in all manner of jobs such as hospital porters, office administrators, truck drivers and engineers (almost one million in Yorkshire & Humber)... as well as citizens who need access to online services to maximise choice and opportunities.

The Action Plan became a key reference point for funders and providers of digital and ICT education and training in the region. To see the summary version, click here.

In 2008, the initial set of 37 actions from Digital 2010 was consolidated into 12 key themes as a practical focus for supporting the collaboration activity that was building momentum:

Current Workforce:

1. Next generation user skills
2. Higher level skills
3. Business ICT adoption
4. e-Learning habit

 Future Workforce:

5. Specialist curriculum
6. Digital skills across the curriculum

 People outside the Workforce

7. Digital literacy – citizens & jobseekers
8. Engaging under-represented groups

 Information, Advice & Guidance

9. Improving the IAG portfolio
10. Attracting and retaining talent

 Delivery Capacity

11. Digitally adept educators
12. Specialist capacity – facilities & trainers

To see how the original 37 actions map into these 12 key themes, please click here.

In 2008, Digital 2010 was rebranded Digital 20/20 and two new partnership groups were established, the ICT Business Group and the Public Sector e-Strategy Group, working alongside the Skills Operational Steering Group.

This led to the development of a separate Business ICT Action Plan.