Connecting Scotland phase 3 - digital support for employability: evaluation

Findings

Barriers to online use

Most Connecting Scotland users who participated in the research for this phase had some prior experience of going online and using digital devices. The majority, however, had experienced constraints on the extent of their digital participation, with cost being the main barrier. In the welcome survey, a majority of respondents (57%) identified cost of devices as something that prevented or limited their use of the internet, while 42% said that paying for internet/data was too expensive (respondents could select more than one option). Data from qualitative interviews with users corroborates this, with more than half reporting that, other than smartphones, access to digital devices was limited to outdated laptops which were described as slow, broken, or malfuntioning, but which people could not afford to replace. Several interviewees also mentioned that they struggled to afford mobile data and so had inconsistent, or limited, internet access.

As with the previous phase of Connecting Scotland, the cost of devices was more commonly cited as a barrier than the cost of data and there were more ipads and chromebooks distributed than 'MiFi' devices (personal, portable wifi). This, perhaps, reflects that people prioritise paying for internet data so that they can maintain a connection, even if they are connecting on inadequate devices. It may also be that people on low incomes, or who are in poverty, find it more difficult to budget for one-off, expensive purchases like a new laptop or tablet. 63% of welcome survey respondents cited lack of access to a device as their reason for getting involved with Connecting Scotland, compared to 31% saying they had no internet access. The following open-text response to the welcome survey question on people's reasons for involvement with the programme illustrates how the cost of new devices can significantly impair people's use of the internet:

"I don't have a computer and my mobile phone screen was broken, so I had to work using my broken device for nearly a year as I cannot afford a new device."

For the majority of research participants (53% of welcome survey respondents and around half of interviewees) smartphones had been the primary means of accessing the internet before they received a digital device from Connecting Scotland. However, there are several online activities, especially those related to employability, for which mobile phones are inherently unsuitable; for instance editing and uploading a CV. These will be discussed at greater length later in this report. Several of the comments in the welcome survey show that people's involvement in Connecting Scotland was driven by a desire for a device other than their smartphone:

-My laptop doesn't work, and I hate using smart phones.

-My smartphone had limited storage and I found it difficult to use a small touchscreen to access things I may have wanted to.

That so many respondents lacked an appropriate digital device suitable for a range of purposes demonstrates that simply having an internet connection is not sufficient for people to be able to fully engage online. Furthermore, even where people had their own personal wifi or data, this was not always consistent or reliable. As already noted, some people could only afford to pay for limited data, but other circumstances can also affect people's connectivity. One interviewee, who had experienced homelessness, explained that their access to wifi had varied depending upon the hostel they were staying in. Another told us that the building they lived in was contracted to a particular internet provider and that they were not able to change, despite signal being patchy.

Though less prevalent than in the previous phase (2) of Connecting Scotland (where more users lived with dependent children), sharing devices within a household was mentioned, too, as something that had inhibited people's ability to make full use of online facilities. An interviewee told us that, having only a smartphone of their own, they would use their child's laptop to access the internet. A number of open text responses in the welcome survey also show that sharing devices was an issue for people who wanted to use the internet to pursue work:

"I was sharing my daughter's laptop for my online studying"

"I had no device of my own to do work on or for my children to use for schoolwork when COVID closed all the schools."

A significant number of survey respondents said they had accessed the internet at a public place - a library, community centre or cafe (29%) and a further 22% said that they used internet at a friend or relative's house. It should be noted that respondents could select multiple responses, so they may also have had access to a smartphone, for example. However, some interview responses suggest that access via other people or organisations was some people's primary means of getting online:

"I didn't have a device; if I wanted to go online, I would ask friends to use their device(s)."

Two other interviewees said that they had to use computers at the library as they did not have home broadband and only had devices that were very outdated and faulty. Using public facilities entails travel time and costs and a few people mentioned that use of library computers is time limited.

Although cost presented the principle barrier to online access, a significant minority of people reported issues relating to their capacity to use digital devices. 13% of welcome survey respondents said that they found 'computer devices difficult to use' while 5% responded that they needed additional equipment to facilitate their online use (for example, a screen reader) but did not know how to use it. A further 8% said that they did not have access to such equipment, though lack of access arguably reflects, again, a cost issue rather than an issue with people's facility with devices.

The majority of survey respondents described themselves as 'confident', or 'very confident' internet users (69%), 13% said that they were not very, or not at all confident while 18% selected a 'neutral' option. While lack of digital confidence should not be overlooked, the research suggests that, for most people in this cohort, lack of skills or knowledge presented less of a barrier to online access than actually being able to afford the appropriate equipment and connectivity.

Barriers to employment

Research with people supported in phase 3 has highlighted a wide range of factors affecting people's ability to pursue and enter work. In the welcome survey, we devised a question with response options that broadly reflected the stages of the employability pipeline. The responses to this question show that every stage on the pipeline is well represented among the cohort of users, although the most prominent were stages 2 and 4.

Figure 3: Job Situation

When asked about the specific things that made it difficult for people to find work, a wide range of responses was, again, reflected. In this case, people could select more than one option and the relatively high response rate to each implies that respondents often faced more than one barrier.

Interestingly, the most commonly selected were lack of qualifications (51%) and lack of experience (49%) which does not seem to correspond to people's reported employability situation. Only 12% of people identified as needing more workplace training, skills or experience. This discrepancy is perhaps partly explained by people reporting what they consider to be the most immediate barriers to their prospects of employment. For example, someone answering that they are not sure what support they need, or that there are things in their personal life that need attention before they are able to pursue work, may also feel that they are underqualified but that this is not their most pressing concern. It is also possible that people recognise a lack of qualifications or experience as barriers to their gaining some types of work, but do not perceive these issues as central to their securing the type of work they plan to pursue.

Other responses broadly related to personal circumstances or to structural barriers to working.

Personal Circumstances

• Experiencing difficulties with mental health – 42%
• Experiencing difficulties with physical health - 30%
• Having caring responsibilities that would be hard to fit around a job – 29%
• Having to spend time dealing with money worries – 25%

Structural Barriers

• Not many jobs available in the local area – 31%
• The cost of transport to travel for work is too high - 24%
• Lack of available transport to travel for work – 21%
• Facing discrimination due to ethnicity, gender, age, other characteristic – 15%
• Not speaking English as a first language – 10%

It should be acknowledged that this is a simplistic classification. Depending upon the nature of the condition, it could be argued that individual mental and physical health issues also represent a structural barrier, in that adjustments that help reduce the impact of these issues on work may not be in place. Similarly, caring commitments might be accommodated by flexible working conditions.

In qualitative interviews (which, of course, comprise a smaller sample of respondents than the survey), the most commonly expressed barrier to employment (by 1/3 interviewees) was having a physical health issue or disability that limited the kind of work people could do. One interviewee told us that physical attendance at interviews was difficult due to their mobility issues. This illustrates how being digitally excluded compounds the disadvantages some people face when seeking employment. Not only was this respondent limited by a physical condition, they suffered further by lacking access to an alternative (digital) means of communication. This interviewee did ultimately successfully secure a job after attending an interview online, using their Connecting Scotland device.

The research highlights a number of similar instances where the barriers to people's online use have direct consequences for their employment prospects. One interviewee who had previously conducted job searches and made applications using library computers explained how the time limits imposed on use meant that they would apply for jobs "as quickly as possible", without thoroughly reading job descriptions.

A respondent to the welcome survey explained how having to share a device had hindered their ability to focus on finding work:

"Sharing with two of my children made it difficult to manage my own uni studies and job searching, as things would disappear when they were using it that I needed. I now have the ability to job hunt and study knowing my CV etc. are safe and the new device is up to date."

Device functionality was a common factor identified as restricting people's digital capabilities and, thereby, their ability to fully engage in employment related activities. Lots of people who had been relying on smartphones for internet access mentioned the ways in which those devices were inadequate for several tasks:

"I couldn't access emails, job searches etc. through my phone so this laptop makes things so much easier"

"I only had smartphone to apply for jobs, which was very awkward to attach CV etc."

(open text responses – welcome survey)

The range of responses illustrates the varied, complex and sometimes multiple ways in which people are disadvantaged in finding work. Enhancing people's digital capacities can potentially alleviate many of these barriers in one form or another, and in some cases, simply owning a reliable device can have an instant impact. However, digital inclusion is one element among many that is needed to make it easier for people to progress towards, and secure work. For example, for people who identified their caring responsibilities as something hindering their ability to find suitable work, online access can allow them to explore a wider range of employment, childcare and transport options. However, more widely, there needs to be an adequate supply of jobs which offer flexible working and access to affordable and flexible childcare for people to take-up meaningful employment.

Support

Phase 3 of the programme was unique in that it had the specific aim of helping people into, or towards, employment where the previous 2 phases had less prescribed aims. This means that people's support needs were oriented towards activities supporting their job prospects.

The relationship between digital skills and employment is expressed in the diagram at figure 4.

There are generic digital skills that people should possess to be able to successfully use technology to gain employment, but which are not exclusively related to employabilty (on the left of the diagram). There are also activities that can help people towards realising their employment goals but which do not necessarily involve possessing or using digital skills (though which may be aided by digital engagment; right side of the diagram). At the intersection of these 2 spheres are employment-related activities for which use of the internet and digital technology is necessary.

People in phase 3 received equipment via organisations who applied to Connecting Scotland on their behalf. Staff from these organisations were responsible for providing both employability support and digital skills support (digital champion role), though, of course, people could seek additional support from other sources, if they wished. Because digital skills support (device operation and internet access) was offered simultaneously with employability support (CV development, identifying appropriate learning), it can be difficult to delineate users' specific support needs. Many reported activities involve using digital technology to pursue employability goals. For example, practising a job interview online requires presentational and interpersonal skills (that would be needed in offline interaction), as well as knowledge of how to use video-conferencing technology and it is not always simple to distinguish the aspects with which users needed greater support.

In interviews, however, some people we talked with did make a clear distinction between digital skills and employability support. For instance, one interviewee told us they had not required any help to use their device or the internet, but that they did want support with writing cover letters and practising interviews. Of course, generic advice for these kinds of activities is available online but, arguably, individualised support is of greater benefit. Another interviewee asserted that they were 'self-sufficient' in researching jobs and learning to use relevant software and so had not sought digital skills support (though aware it was available). This interviewee, though, stated that they "did not know" what additional support they needed to make a successful application.

Most research respondents (both interviewees and those completing the surveys) described themselves as confident on the internet; people consistently expressed in interviews that they were aware of the offer of digital skills support but felt they did not require this. However, around half of the interviewees indicated that the employment support they had received included getting help with online activities directly relating to finding work. Most commonly, this took the form of people getting help writing and structuring a CV, and then being assisted to upload it to job websites. This kind of assistance blurs the distinction between digital skills support and employment support and illustrates the centrality of digital technology to securing work. Although the interviews provide a relatively limited sample, the data perhaps suggests that, while most people possessed foundational digital skills and knowledge, there were gaps in terms of effective online use to support employability. One interviewee described themselves as confident using the internet and their device but struggled with job websites and uploading their CV. Another interviewee, (despite having successfully applied for a job) indicated that they would not be confident navigating online to find work if it became necessary:

"If I lost this job I don't know what I would do, what jobsites to look on et cetera"

While self-reported confidence in going online and using devices was fairly high, a minority of interviewees had had limited experience with digital devices and needed help with fundamental activities such as using email or common applications like 'zoom'.

"I learned to shop online, how to share photographs online, FaceTime with friends and my daughter, use email …"

Almost all interviewees were in receipt of employability support, or expressed a need for this kind of support. However, for a few people, simply having a device (and means of connectivity where required) allowed them to undertake job seeking activities with minimal additional help, either in terms of employability advice, or digital skills. One interviewee said that they soon taught themselves to use the Chromebook and were able to use online sources of support, for example, a 'CV creator' website.

Use of Connectivity and Device

The 'experience and impact' survey, administered after people had owned their devices for some time (around 12 months for most respondents), shows that people had used their devices and connectivity in a range of different ways (people could select multiple options). This reflects the findings of the welcome survey which showed that barriers to employability were multiple and varied and that people identified with each different stage on the employability pipeline.

While a breadth of activities was reported, the most popular were concerned directly with job-seeking; searching online for vacancies, working on CVs and making applications.

This is broadly in line with people's intentions when asked, in the 'welcome' survey about things they would be interested in using their devices for. 60% of respondents said they intended to use their device to make online applications and 57% to search for job vacancies. These kinds of activities are strongly reflected, too, in the qualitative interviews where most people with whom we spoke were actively looking, and applying, for work.

The next most commonly reported activity for which people had been using their devices and connectivity was working towards a qualification (41%) which was also frequently mentioned in the welcome survey in open text responses to the question 'What made you want to get involved in this programme?':

"I was starting my SVQ3 [Scottish Vocational Qualification] in health and social care and was finding it hard to do this using my phone."

"I was really struggling to type up college work/assessments on the devices I had without there being written errors so the device helps me see my work clearer on a bigger screen."

Other than formal study, activities associated with preparing, more generally, for work were less frequently reported as things for which people had been using their devices. For example; finding out about internships, volunteering and work experience.

There was a relatively high incidence of people reporting that they had used their connection to find information or advice about health and/or mental health (38%), although fewer people said they had actually accessed health services online. This reflects that poor health is a significant barrier to people's ability to access employment. One interviewee told us:

"The first step in my journey is to get my health issues under control; I'm totally stuck until I get this under control."

This interviewee said that they had been using their device to help manage their health condition by keeping track of their medical documents and appointments. At the same time, they were using their device to research career options for when they were recovered.

Other Activities

Research participants also reported various other things for which they were using their devices and connectivity which were not necessarily associated with job-seeking (although which may indirectly benefit employability prospects, for example, by helping to improve people's mental health). Just over a third of impact survey repondents said that they had used their device for online banking and 27% said they had accessed money advice.

In interviews, people described a range of things they had been able to do on their devices which had had a positive effect on their finances or wellbeing. One person told us that they had found an online 'tool library' from which they had rented tools in order to renovate their new accomodation. Another told us that, as well as successfully applying for a job using their device, they had also learnt a foreign a language and how to make pizzas online. Interviewees also said that they used online applications to stay connected with friends and family. Research in the previous phases of Connecting Scotland has highlighted the importance of online social and leisure activities for maintaining good mental health. In this phase, over two thirds of impact survey respondents agreed (34%) or strongly agreed (33%) that getting online and having a device had helped to improve their mental health.

Device Functionality

As with previous phases of Connecting Scotland, many people commented that certain features of their new device meant that they could do things that were either difficult, or unachievable, with their previous means of connection – namely smartphones. Activities like editing, saving and uploading CVs were especially identified as being easier. People using digital devices for studying reported, too, that attending classes online, and writing and submitting written work would have been all but impossible without the devices they received through the programme.

The enabling features of devices are discussed at greater length in the phase 2 evaluation report. Worth mentioning here is that, in phase 3, people appeared to have fewer reservations about the devices they received than in previous phases. This is likely because of the specific focus of this phase on employability. Users' needs were more defined, which meant that additional support received alongside ownership of devices was more focused and, in most cases, the devices awarded were chosen to meet employability-based needs. This reinforces the importance of idenitfying devices that most appropriately fulfil the goals of digital inclusion in different circumstances.

Impact and Outcomes

Change in Work Situation

Both the welcome and impact surveys included the question (derived from the employability pipeline model) asking respondents to select an option that best described their feelings about getting a job (see fig.3). Comparing the spread of answers between the two surveys gives an indication of if, and how, things have changed for phase 3 users.

In the welcome survey:

• 14% of respondents were in a job but wanted to find other work.
• 72% were looking to get into work, split evenly between those who would be considered 'work ready' and those that would not, according to the pipeline.
• 14% did not identify with any of the statements – open text responses indicate that these respondents:
  • were studying and would seek work after completion
  • had caring commitments
  • felt too unwell to work
  • had found a job since in the time since receiving their device

Where people said they had already found work by the time the welcome survey was carried out, the extent to which people's digital devices contributed to this was largely unstated, however a few clearly idenitfied the difference that Connecting Scotland support had already made:

"I start a new job in May as a Support Practitioner. Had it not been for the gift of the Chromebook and data package, I would not have been able to even apply for this job."

In the Experience and Impact survey:

• 29% of people said they were in employment; 17% were happy with the job they were in while 12% were looking for opportunities to move into a different job or position.
• 60% were still looking to get into work
• 13% identified with none of the statements; open text comments show a similar pattern to that in the welcome survey.

Overall, it would appear that there is a noticeable difference in the number of people in work between the 2 surveys. In the impact survey, 17% of people said they were in a job where they were happy and 12% fewer people were actively job-seeking than indicated in the welcome survey. Of the 29% who were in work, exactly half said that having a device and/or connection from Connecting Scotland had been essential in helping them get a job; a further 44% said that it had been helpful. When asked about what the biggest change had been from receiving equipment through Connecting Scotland, many people expanded on the role that their device and the internet had played in securing work:

• "The device helped me to find everything I needed to know to apply for jobs."
• "The internet helped me to find jobs I can apply for, and making my CV which helped me a lot to get a job."
• "The laptop [Chromebook] and Wi-Fi you gave me helped me to get a job I wanted. I am so happy."

Persistent Barriers to Employment

Looking in more detail at the responses, in both surveys, of those still seeking work potentially provides an insight into where digital access has been most effective. There is a clear difference in the number of people identifying with the option corresponding to stage 4 on the employability pipeline: 'I feel ready to start a job but I need to find opportunities that are right for me, work on applications and prepare for interviews'. In the welcome survey, 23% of people selected this option; in the impact survey, this number almost halved to 12%. This implies that having a device and/or connectivity has provided a solution for those people who were work ready but needed an effective way to search and apply for jobs.

The change in the frequency to which the other 'out of work' responses were selected is, however, minimal. Indeed, the statement relating to stage 2 of the pipeline – 'I would like to find a job but there are things in my personal life (such as my mental health, my financial situation) that I need to deal with first' – had almost exactly the same response rate across both surveys (26.8% and 26.4%) and was the most regularly selected.

This could indicate that either digital access has little to no effect on helping to improve people's personal circumstances, or that the effects are not as immediately demonstrable. Other evidence from the research suggests that the latter is more likely, not least the fact that the majority (72%) of respondents to the impact survey said that they thought their chances of getting a job had improved 'a little' (37%) or 'a lot' (35%) since receiving support from Connecting Scotland. 67% of respondents also agreed, or strongly agreed that 'getting online and having a device' had helped them improve their mental health.

Personal issues, such as problems with mental health or finances, represent a much more intractable barrier to employment than, for example, having difficulties submitting applications. It is almost certainly the case that, though online access can contribute to people improving their situations, this is just one element of the support that may be needed. It would be unrealistic to expect online access, alone, to remedy people's personal difficulties, especially within the relatively short time frame in which this research was carried out.

The 23% of impact survey respondents who said that their chances of getting a job had stayed the same or got worse were invited to provide open-text comments to explain their situation. These comments suggest that some of the issues that people face, that affect their ability to work, are very difficult to overcome. The majority of the comments reference mental health problems.

"My mental health isn't good at moment and also my family life isn't good either. I would love to work or do education. I've tried and failed because of my home situation."

38% of respondents said that they had used their device to find information or advice about health and/or mental health, with 29% saying they had accessed mental health services online. Nevertheless, some people's responses demonstrate that addressing the barriers they face goes beyond the scope of the programme:

"I have personal medical issues that make getting a job harder so although the Chromebook has helped me, it has not affected my employment."

"I feel if I was to get any job with 16 hours that I would feel I would initially need support. I see a psychiatrist for my mental health although I feel it would be very helpful if I had more support, e.g. support worker or PCN [Primary Care Network]."

"I have learning disabilities and not many employers are sympathetic to the restricted work I can do."

When asked what additional support might be helpful, a number of respondents mentioned specific assistance for their mental health needs:

"Someone to help me with my mental health and be able to show me that, while dealing with my mental health, I can still look and be able to keep a job."

As well as health difficulties, people cited childcare commitments as an issue that made it hard for them to find suitable work, indicating that the availability of accessible and flexible work may be lacking:

"Because I have to take and pick up my child every day, and I don't have a driving license to drive to work. I want to get a part time job very near to my home."

Although a number of people did also say that they had managed to use their device to find work that fitted in with childcare:

"The access to internet has helped so much with finding a job suited around my children."

The vast majority of research participants reported positive impacts, on both their digital and job-seeking capabilities, resulting from the digital support provided by Connecting Scotland. The research, though, also illustrates the limits to what this support, alone, can achieve. As one impact survey respondent succinctly put it:

"There are circumstances stronger than having a tablet."

A couple of people that were interviewed seemed to be uncertain as to what further, or additional, support they might benefit from:

"I don't have a clue; I need something to help me get a job…I don't know what I need to brush up on but I know something is not working".

Other Impacts

As well as benefits directly related to job-seeking, research participants reported a variety of other positive impacts that owning a device and/or having a connection had had for them. These included practical benefits such as being able to shop online, potentially saving time and money, and using online banking (reported by over a third of impact survey participants). Others said that other people in their household had benefitted, particularly children who were either using the device themselves, or whose parents were better able to support their schoolwork. One respondent to the impact survey said the biggest change since receiving their equipment had been:

"Enhancing my skills, enabling me to help my children with their homework and learning and providing added digital skills for my children."

41% of impact survey respondents said they were using their devices and/or connection to gain a qualification. People who were not yet actively looking for a job but were studying in order to be better qualified consistently reported that their devices had made it significantly easier to participate in education:

"It has helped with my studies a huge amount and has changed the ability for me to learn as I can access my classes from home when required."

Something repeatedly reported was the effect that involvement in the programme had had on people's feelings of personal wellbeing. In particular, people reported feeling more confident since receiving support through Connecting Scotland. Many people expressed a kind of practical confidence, feeling better skilled and equipped to pursue work:

• - "[it has] Given me more confidence on using internet and bigger screen for my eyes instead of on my phone. Helped apply for jobs and online interviews."
• - "More confident in using internet, sorting out my money worries."

For others, the confidence gained was expressed as a more general sense of hopefulness and purpose:

"[It has] Given me a boost and a direction/hope for the future. Really positive for my mental health. More confidence."

It is not always apparent how involvement in the programme leads to feelings of increased confidence, although a number of people suggested that the ability to connect easily to people and groups had been significant.

"Boosted my confidence, keep me from being lonely and I get to be more involved in my local community."

The following quotation suggests that becoming confident using the device itself can generate confidence in other areas of life.

"Being able to gain the confidence to utilise the device and join others online, this has allowed me to gain a level of confidence throughout my life which has helped me to develop friendships, participate in new hobbies."

A number of responses from the impact survey and from qualitative interviews suggest that, alongside the use of a device, interpersonal relationships with support staff could be important to building confidence. One interviewee said:

"I used to have low confidence and [low] self-esteem … I felt really supported by [digital champion] and the team – they didn't make me feel stupid."

Personal confidence is arguably an overlooked factor in people's ability to pursue and secure work and may not be an outcome readily associated with having digital access. Perhaps some of the confidence reported stems from being included in something which most people are able to take for granted, as implied in the following quotations; the first from an interviewee, the second from a respondent to the impact survey:

• - "It's really good that Connecting Scotland supports people with digital technology. During COVID people became isolated especially people who can't afford to access the web. It's been amazing for me and it's definitely improved my confidence. Some people assume people know all about digital technology - but many don't and these days you need those skills to get a job."
• - "I feel normal now, like other young people in my area. Everyone has internet and a device, I felt left out before having neither."