Connecting Scotland phase 3 - digital support for employability: evaluation

Phase 3

People Supported in Phase 3: Focus on Employability

A specific target group in phase 3 was people seeking to progress towards employment. Applications were invited from organisations supporting individuals aged 16 and over, who were digitally excluded, from a low income household, and who were unemployed or wanted to improve their employment situation. Awarding devices via organisations was an expedient way to identify potential beneficiaries and to distribute devices. Organisations were entrusted to identify individuals who would most benefit from the programme and were expected to have sufficient capacity to provide digital champion support.

From research with people supported in phase 2, we know that access to a digitally connected device can positively impact on people's job seeking experience, though this was not an explicit aim of that phase. The present report provides an opportunity to further explore the relationship between digital inclusion and employability.

The employability phase of Connecting Scotland received 732 applications, of which 525 were successful. 8,656 digitally enabled devices (Chromebooks or iPads) were awarded along with 6,098 MiFi connections. A detailed description of the application process is provided at annex C.

Analysis of the applications indicates some of the groups of people supported in this phase. These included young people, people from a minority ethnic background, disabled people, women, and lone parents, although, of course, characteristics of users will overlap. All of these characteristics are associated with lower rates of employment^[4], although it should be borne in mind that a high proportion of 16-24 year-olds are in full time education. Nevertheless, young people in education may be considered as actively preparing for work and stand to benefit from both careers support and digital support to facilitate studies.

Employability and Connectivity

The relationship between digital inclusion and employability is complex. Lack of digital access is a barrier to gaining employment, but unemployment is also a barrier to being digitally included. People without income from work are less able to afford devices and connectivity or to have opportunities, through work, to use digital technology. Research by Ofcom shows that 13% of people who are not working do not have home internet access, compared to just 2% of those in work^[5].

Some of the underlying barriers to employability and digital inclusion are similar. People who are disabled, for instance, can find it harder to use digital technology and/or find the cost of accessibility aides prohibitive. Disability can also limit the type, and amount, of work that people are able to do and travelling for work can present additional difficulties^[6]. Of course, in some cases, a disability affecting the type of work people can do has little or no impact on people's ability to use digital technology, and vice-versa.

There is potential for the use of digital technology to help to remove the barriers to entering work that some disabled people encounter (for example; being able to work from home), although this is mediated by wider employment processes – such as the flexibility offered by employers^[7].

Lack of digital skills and confidence can restrict access to some forms of employment and can also be a barrier to developing digital skills in the first place. Somewhat counterintuitively, feelings of embarassment over a lack of digital ability, as well as fear of getting things wrong, can demotivate people to engage with digital technology, and people remian excluded.^[8]

Fostering digital inclusion is a crucial element in helping people to find suitable work, however, the impact of online access on employability can take different forms depending upon people's personal circumstances and proximity to the job market. For some, the ability to search and apply for jobs online may be the most significant factor in securing work, while for others digital connectivity can provide a way of accessing other services or information to help with wider issues that may stand in the way of seeking employment.

Digital technology has become central to both finding work and fulfilling occupational roles and people who are digitally excluded are distinctly disadvantaged in their ability to progress in employment. Thousands of jobs are advertised online and most job applications are now completed via online forms, or by emailing a CV and cover letter. Futhermore, access to the internet provides the opportunity to research roles and organisations which can strengthen applications and performance at interviews.

Employers are also increasingly looking for candidates with, at least, a basic level of digital skills. Roles that require digital skills are significantly better remunerated than those that don't and developing more specific digital skills can support career progression^[9].

As well as the direct enhancement of people's digital skills and capabilities, there are a number of ways in which online access can help people address wider barriers to employability. For example, the internet provides opportunities for people to engage in education online; remotely accessing materials and courses that can provide workplace-specific learning or qualifications.

Many people can find it difficult to find suitable work due to personal circumstances, such as caring commitments or health issues^[10]. While online access may not be able to remove these barriers entirely, people can enjoy wider, and easier, access to advice and support that might help people to find solutions. Where working is not realistic, people can use the internet to find out about other support they might be eligible for.

Furthermore, internet connected devices can facilitate more flexible and efficient ways of working. For example, people can more easily search and apply for part-time, or free-lance, job opportunities; reliable connectivity means people can work remotely (where feasible); people can use online applications to plan, and book, travel to find efficient and cost-effective ways of getting to work.

For some people, barriers to employment can be more fundamental, and gaining employment might not be an immediate concern, but a longer term aim. To illustrate, in the phase 3 'welcome' survey, 27% of people said that they felt they needed to deal with a personal problem before being able to concentrate on finding work, and 42% of respondents identified mental health difficulties as a barrier to working. In these cases, devices and connection can, in the first instance, help people access information, advice and services that might help them to address some of the more deep-seated issues that make people feel unable to actively pursue work. Applications to phase 3 highlighted that finding and accessing appropriate services, offline, is time-consuming and can be costly where travel is required.

The Employability 'Pipeline'

In theorizing the potential impact of digital access on people's employment prospects, we referred to the model of the 'employability pipeline'^[11]. This model shows where different people might be on their route to employment and the kinds of activities associated with particular stages. While recognising that the pipeline model cannot fully capture different people's experiences of (un)employment, it provides a useful lens through which to consider the different ways in which digital connectivity could help people (who want to) get closer to finding work. The model also plainly illustrates that gaining employment is an incremental process, with some people more 'job ready' than others; people's needs differ depending on their position in the pipeline. Thus, the success of digital interventions should not simply be gauged by measuring job attainment in the short-term, but also by progress made towards being 'work-ready'.

For people at stages one and two, who are furthest from employment, digital engagement might simply be about starting to use connected devices, building confidence, connecting with others and starting to learn about the kinds of support that are accessible online. Stages three and four would involve more explicitly work-related activities; gaining relevant skills and qualifications and then using the internet to assist in writing CVs, searching and applying for jobs. Finally, someone who is in work might require further digital skills support in order to progress in their career.