Members' area

2024 delivery plan: Employer Action

The Employer Action area of the 2024 delivery plan is working to ensure that all organisations have the insight and tools required to understand the digital skills gap and upskill the UK workforce.

There are two distinct workstreams, each led and supported by members of the FutureDotNow coalition. If you’d like to get involved, contact hello@futuredotnow.uk.

 Action area co-leads:

Deborah O’Neill
Head of Digital Europe
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Stuart Mills
Consultant – Digital Leader

Employer Action workstreams:

5. Help organisations understand digital skills levels in their workforce

Our ambition for 2024

 Better access to data and insight on workforce essential digital skills informing and empowering individual business action. New developments will mean organisations can: 

  • Interrogate national essential digital skills data more effectively and efficiently to inform their interventions. 
  • Run their own assessments and measure the progress of individuals and their organisation. 

Sprint 1 achievements
(Jan-Mar)

 Data analysis and resource scoping

  • New analysis undertaken of the 2023 Consumer Digital Index Essential Digital Skills for Work data Shared widely as both webinar and online report. 
  • Initial development of new solutions to help businesses assess the level of essential digital skills in their workforce, including prototype assessment tool, digital confidence question set and employer guidance.  

Sprint 2 achievements (Jun-Jul)

 New assessment guides

Two new resources developed: 

  • Workplace Assessment Guide detailing proven methods to help employers measure and understand the skills needs of their organisation. 
  • Colleague self-assessment guide to allow individuals to quantify their skills level. 

 

Sprint 3 achievements (Sep-Nov)

 External pilots and industry perspective

  • Beta versions of Workplace Assessment Guide and Colleague Self-Assessment Guide piloted with over 4,000 people across leading organisations. 
  • Template survey forms developed to support SME organisations to deliver the self-assessment.
  • Industry perspective provided on the latest Essential Digital Skills for Work data for the Lloyds Bank 2024 UK Consumer Digital Index. 

Workstream led by:

Workstream supported by:

Cosmic logo
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6. Help organisations train the workforce in Essential Digital Skills

Ourmbition for 2024

It will be easier for organisations to train their workforce in essential digital skills because: 

  • Existing training resources and guidance are more readily accessible. 
  • Feedback loops have been created to surface what content works, what doesn’t. 
  • Training content gaps have been identified to inform action to close them.

Sprint 1 achievements
(Jan-Mar)

Matching content to framework

  • Criteria developed for training providers to map their content against the 20 work tasks in the Essential Digital Skills Framework, with an initial focus on the Being Safe and Legal Online skills. 

Sprint 2 achievements (Jun-Jul)

A clearer view of existing training

  • Initial view developed of what training exists with further work required to fully scope gaps. 
  • Learning providers use new validation criteria to confirm learning content covers all nine ‘Being safe and legal’ tasks found in the Essential Digital Skill Framework. 
  • Review of FutureDotNow Digital Skills Directory to map content against framework and assess design and functionality for further development.  

Sprint 3 achievements (Sep-Nov)

FutureDotNow members’ area

  • Gap analysis completed on what training content exists against each of the 20 work task in the framework. 
  • New learning stories from six organisations on their approach to digital upskilling to enable shared learning. Next wave of contributors engaged. 
  • Beta version of new FutureDotNow members’ area built and tested with employer organisations. This is a key platform for resources to support employer upskilling.

Workstream led by:

Workstream supported by:

Cosmic logo

 

Strategy workstreams
Culture workstream