To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2020 to Question 72909 on Department for Education: Cybercrime and Digital Technology, how much funding his Department has allocated to digital skills training for (a) children and (b) adults.
Answered on
2 September 2020
The government recognises the critical importance of digital skills both in everyday life and for the wider UK economy. That is why we have invested in digital skills that support lifelong learning and the acquisition of digital skills from foundation level right through to those required for cutting edge digital industries.
The new computing curriculum has helped to ensure pupils have the broad knowledge and skills they need to go on to specialise in innovative technologies and become active creators of digital technology. This new curriculum is supported by the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), which has been set up with £80 million of government funding. The NCCE are delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the teaching of computing and drive up participation in computer science, particularly amongst girls.
We are investing an additional £500 million per year on the implementation of new T Levels. Digital Production, Design and Development is one of the first 3 T Levels to be taught from this September. T Levels in Digital Support and Services, and Digital Business Services will follow in 2021, providing students with a clear pathway to employment in this sector.
The government is also investing up to £290 million of capital funding to establish 20 Institutes of Technology (IoT). These institutes will be the pinnacle of technical training, with unique collaborations between further education colleges, universities and businesses offering higher technical education and training in key sectors such as digital. Digital is a popular sectoral specialism with 30% of the provision of the first 12 IoTs aligned to the digital technical route.
The government will introduce a new digital skills entitlement based on new national standards from August 2020. This will be funded through the £1.34 billion Adult Education Budget which aims to help eligible adults aged 19 and over to gain the skills they need for work, undertake an apprenticeship, or pursue further learning. The new entitlement will ensure adults, aged 19 and over, with no or low digital skills can study for specified qualifications in essential digital skills up to Level 1 free of charge, to get the skills and capabilities they need to get on in life and work.
The government has also committed £2.5 billion investment through the National Skills Fund to dramatically reboot the adult skills landscape. We will be launching a consultation to get the views from a wide range of stakeholders, including digital skills providers, on how best to target the fund and ensure best possible impact.