Event round-up: techUK Roundtable with Baroness Armstrong
On 17 September, techUK hosted a member roundtable with Baroness Armstrong, Chair of the Digital Inclusion Action Committee, to discuss the role of the Committee, as well as techUK and member efforts to address digital inclusion and opportunities for wider collaboration within the tech sector.
The Digital Inclusion Action Committee was established in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, published by the government in February, as an external advisory body. The Committee is comprised of national and local experts working to scrutinise, steer and aid how government can help reduce digital exclusion across all regions in the UK.
techUK’s Deputy CEO, Antony Walker, is a part of the Committee as Co-Chair of the Industry Leadership and Partnership sub-committee, alongside techUK members, BT and Vodafone Three, who are also fellow members of the Committee.
Earlier this year, techUK and our members welcomed the announcement of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, as an opportunity for deeper sector-wide engagement to address challenges around device availability, connectivity, and skills development. techUK’s Digital Inclusion Working Group, was established to guide techUK's ongoing digital inclusion efforts, including our engagement with the Government.
Event summary:
Baroness Armstong began the Roundtable highlighting the role of the Digital Inclusion Action Committee in helping to guide and scrutinise the governments work on tackling digital exclusion across the UK; emphasising the potential to accelerate this work through collaboration with techUK members.
The Baroness highlighted how digital inclusion can be advanced across public services and wider society. With technology developing at speed, the public sector faces the challenge of not just keeping up but staying ahead to ensure no one is excluded. Achieving this requires equipping the UK population with not only access to digital devices but also the skills, confidence, and affordable connectivity necessary to achieve digital inclusivity.
It was noted that the Committee is working closely with charities, including Age UK & the Good Things Foundation, both of which are members, to ensure vulnerable groups are represented in discussions of digital inclusion. Several initiatives included in the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, outlined in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, include the governments partnership with the Digital Poverty Alliance to create a digital donation pilot aimed at allocating repurposed government devices to digitally excluded populations. This compliments ongoing government work with industry to expand affordable Wi-Fi and connectivity through Project Gigabit.
A prominent area of priority outlined is developing a scalable and secure model for device reuse through the IT Reuse for Good Charter. This charter aims to increase the number of quality devices given to people who need them with active industry backing from the Good Things Foundation, VodafoneThree and Deloitte LLP.
Members discussed how the Committee can convene stakeholders, influence skills frameworks, and ensure digital inclusion is embedded in wider policy areas such as the Social Value Act, alongside highlighting the importance of putting digital issues at the centre of renewal programmes.
Members shared experiences showcasing that access to devices is not enough without motivation, training, and affordability. Many local charities and organisations are leading strong initiatives that could aim to scale nationally through government support.
Concerns were raised about limited collaboration across government and stressed the importance of joined-up hubs and community access points. Key risks of exclusion were noted as services become more digitally advanced, including AI uptake, chatbots, and the transition to IP-based television. Preparing people, particularly the most vulnerable demographics, for these changes will require joint efforts between government, industry, and community organisations.
The roundtable concluded that while digital tools are enablers - skills, motivation, and confidence remain essential. The Committee has a role in convening government, industry, and community actors, supported by techUK, to align efforts and scale successful approaches. While there is a clear appetite across the sector to collaborate, achieving impact will require coordinated, inclusive solutions that address both today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.
Get involved in techUK’s digital inclusion work
Members can get involved in techUK’s ongoing digital inclusion work through our Digital Inclusion Working Group. 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.
Any techUK members that work in the digital inclusion space, or who wish to work in this space, are welcome to join here.
Antony Walker
Deputy CEO, techUK
Antony Walker
Deputy CEO, techUK
Antony Walker is deputy CEO of techUK, which he played a lead role in launching in November 2013.
Antony is a member of the senior leadership team and has overall responsibility for techUK’s policy work. Prior to his appointment in July 2012 Antony was chief executive of the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG), the UK’s independent advisory group on broadband policy. Antony was closely involved in the development of broadband policy development in the UK since the BSG was established in 2001 and authored several major reports to government. He also led the development of the UK’s world leading Open Internet Code of Practice that addresses the issue of net neutrality in the UK. Prior to setting up the BSG, Antony spent six years working in Brussels for the American Chamber of Commerce following and writing about telecoms issues and as a consultant working on EU social affairs and environmental issues. Antony is a graduate of Aberdeen University and KU Leuven and is also a Policy Fellow Alumni of the Centre for Science and Policy at Cambridge University.
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.
Tess joined techUK as an Policy and Public Affairs Team Assistant in November of 2024. In this role, she supports areas such as administration, member communications and media content.
Before joining the Team, she gained experience working as an Intern in both campaign support for MPs and Councilors during the 2024 Local and General Election, and working for the Casimir Pulaski Foundation on defence and international secuirty. She has worked for multiple charities, on issues such as the climate crisis, educational inequality and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). In 2023, Tess obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham.
techUK's Skills, Talent and Diversity Programme activities
techUK work with our members to signpost the opportunity of digital jobs and ensure these opportunities are open to people of diverse backgrounds. We strive to help our members attract, recruit, and retain a diverse workforce, whilst showcasing their work on workplace innovation. Visit the programme page here.
Jobs and Skills
To make sure that the UK is a world-leading digital economy that works for everyone, it is crucial that people have the digital skills needed for life and work. Rapid digitalisation is creating surging demand for digital skills across the economy and the current domestic skills pipeline cannot keep up. Digitalisation is also leading to rapid changes in the labour market that means some traditional roles are being displaced. There is an urgent need to better match the demand and supply.
The future of work is changing. Technology is powering a growth in flexible work across the economy, whilst emerging technologies such as robotics and AI are set to become common place. techUK believes the UK must consider the implications of digital transformation in the world of work now, equipping people and businesses across the country with the skills and conditions needed to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the 4IR.
Diversity and inclusion sits at the heart of digital growth. The tech sector understands that innovation thrives from diversity of thought and is continually looking to attract, recruit and retain a diverse workforce. techUK is proud to support a number of initiatives that promote this, from doing outreach work to ensure that people regardless of their background are inspired into tech, to initiatives that help build more inclusive workplaces for those with different accessibility needs.
Returners programmes offer a supported bridge back to work for people who have taken a career break. Providing ways for people to ease back into work after a career break is a vital way to make sure we do not lose out on their talent and experience. The techUK returners hub was created as a one-stop-shop for people looking to return to a career in digital.
Our members develop strong networks, build meaningful partnerships and grow their businesses as we all work together to create a thriving environment where industry, government and stakeholders come together to realise the positive outcomes tech can deliver.
