Read the document @ http://www.nesta.org.uk/sites/default/files/youngd…
The internet now contributes roughly 8 per cent of the UK’s GDP – the highest of the G20 countries. But ten million of the UK’s population lack basic digital skills and seven million have never used the internet. Only 30 per cent of small businesses make effective use of the internet for marketing and sales, despite the UK being home to the highest percentage of online shoppers in Europe. Only one of the world’s top 100 websites – the BBC – is British (despite the web being invented by a Brit). And 90 per cent of new jobs require digital know–how.
The lack of digital skills in the UK needs addressing as soon as possible. This report reveals just how much is already happening, from the work of coding clubs to activities in the school curriculum to developments in online tools. But the gaps are more striking than the successes, amplifying existing inequalities and hierarchies rather than empowering more people. London has the best provision, but rural areas are being left behind. Many girls are defying stereotypes – but far too many are not engaging, and the gap in confidence between boys and girls is widening. Without radical steps, we won’t change the woeful numbers of women working in the tech sector, which currently stands at 17 per cent.
