techUK has established the Digital Inclusion Working Group to guide our ongoing work in this area.
The Government published their Digital Inclusion Action Plan at the end of February. techUK welcomed the Plan as an overdue assumption of responsibility for co-ordinating the excellent work already going on to combat digital exclusion at local level. We were also glad to see policies recommended by techUK in the plan. These include:
- The establishment of a dedicated unit within DSIT for promoting digital inclusion, the Digital Inclusion and Skills Unit.
- The adoption of the Essential Digital Skills Framework by the Government, which will be integrated into public sector skills provisions and used as a base for future skills initiatives.
- Ministers to take responsibility for promoting digital inclusion.
The Digital Inclusion Working Group has been established to guide techUK's ongoing digital inclusion efforts, including our engagement with the Government and with Parliamentarians.This includes techUK's promotion of agreed positions on digital inclusion and scruitinising the work of the Government in this area on behalf of the tech sector.
Any techUK members that work in the digital inclusion space, or who wish to work in this space, are welcome to join. The group will receive all updates on digital inclusion, including drafts of techUK policy documents, and will meet on an ad-hoc basis to assess major developments in the digital inclusion landscape.
This is your opportunity to guide our work in this field. For example, by recommending whether we focus on the best ways to incorporate digital inclusion into employers investment decisions, ESG frameworks to hold businesses accountable, and improving Digital inclusion procurement practices through the Public Services (Social Value) Act. We need your input to know where to focus and what to do.
You can also keep up with Digital Inclusion and wider Skills, talent and Diversity work by signing up to our Thrive newsletter below.
Archie Breare
Archie Breare
Archie Breare joined techUK in September 2022 as the Telecoms Programme intern, and moved into the Policy and Public Affairs team in February 2023.
Before starting at techUK, Archie was a student at the University of Cambridge, completing an undergraduate degree in History and a master's degree in Modern British History.
In his spare time, he likes to read, discuss current affairs, and to try and persuade himself to cycle more.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- LinkedIn:
- linkedin.com/in/archie-breare-512346230
Nimmi Patel
Nimmi Patel
Nimmi Patel is the Head of Skills, Talent and Diversity at techUK. She works on all things skills, education, and future of work policy, focusing on upskilling and retraining. Nimmi is also an Advisory Board member of Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (digit). The Centre research aims to increase understanding of how digital technologies are changing work and the implications for employers, workers, job seekers and governments.
Prior to joining the techUK team, she worked for the UK Labour Party and New Zealand Labour Party, and holds an MA in Strategic Communications at King’s College London and BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Manchester. She is currently taking part in the 2024-25 University of Bath Institute for Policy Research Policy Fellowship Programme.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 07805744520
- Twitter:
- @nimmiptl
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimmi-patel1/