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Digital skills
Every sector of London's economy needs people with with digital skills to fill digital, creative and technology jobs.
During the latest draft London Skills Strategy consultation, many of you mentioned that digital skills were key to progress in your career.
What digital skills do you or others need now and in the future? What courses should be available?
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Congratulations that there is help for older people with communicating on a PC and researching what we'd like to know about on-line at the library. Invaluable.
Keeping up with advances in technology, I myself would like some help with smart phones, tablets, What'sAp, and such like.
I feel entirely certain that younger people also could sometimes do with some help.
I'd like to see legislation which would force technology companies to educate subscribers/customers/users in etiquette: that is, how to behave in the digital world.
Far too many people make statements or reveal truly personal information on social media to a wide audience which they would never reveal, say to their fellow diners/drinkers in a restaurant or pub.
Even when told, they continue to give out every personal detail about them, their lives, spouse, children, extended family - in fact - everything except their blood group - but I fear that is only because they are ignorant of this one. And then they wonder why their information is used to their detriment.
Forcing technology companies feels like the wrong choice, by the time someone chooses to be a subscriber/customer/user, they are already moulded into the person they are going to be, and a etiquette lesson isn't going to change that before they start using digital services. This is something that needs to be addressed when people are children, during primary education; we teach children to be careful crossing the street, or talking to strangers, we need to teach them about managing their digital presences as well.
It is good to see pollution and try and improve it, and I don't mind being followed around when I go out. I just want data to be accurate, and I am sure the government needs data to act
So we will have a new EU law coming into effect next month..
WHAT WITH BREXIT??
The EU GDPR is an attempt by the EU to establish jurisdiction outside its geographical area. Any body or organization that gathers, deals or is in anyway linked to a person or place connected to the EU is seen as under its authority. It is a fair better there will be a lot of conflict of laws and international jurisdiction cases stemming from this land grab attempt.
As long as the UK is a member of the EU, this falls under EU jurisdiction.
EU is neither a "land grab", nor an interference!! It is an aim to homogenise Europe within its borders.
Albeit, there are many faults that need rectification and adjustment, but to be the first rat to leave a floating and stable boat, like the Brits are doing, is a loss; primarily to Britain, but also to the rest of the EU.
The UK are still a member who cut themselves loose to DISASTER!!
My question was all about what happens to these EU agreed laws and regulations AFTER THE BREXIT DISASTER HITS US ??
If you want to trade outside of the UK then you will have to be compliant if you hold any personally identifiable information. US companies such as Github and Slack are working on their compliance at the moment. If they don't then they loose access to a lot of customers.
We're going into a transition period where we'll keep all the same laws. Brexit is largely immaterial to this.
There are more than enough courses, that are either free, or reasonably priced, and there are plenty of course providers, so we certainly don't need anything that adds to public expense. However, what would be really useful, if the Mayor was to support opportunity for all in the IT Digital sectors of the economy, and especially those over say, 40/ 45 years of age, because these sectors are just not interested in employing older people who have the skills but not the experience.
The media and politicians have done a cracking job challenging the barriers and stigma faced by Gay/ Transgender and the immigrant communities. Now it's time to speak up and challenge the stigma that older people face in seeking work in the IT sectors, regardless of their sexual or ethnic status.
Well said!
What about having safety guidelines when using your mobile phone in a public place? Too many people shout down their mobiles when using public transport and when out and about. They do not realise just how much information they are revealing about themselves. Not only that it is just so unatractive to hear people screeching.
I've just filled in the questionnaire, but I don't find it that easy to come to any conclusive view. It seems to me that there is a simple problem here - i.e. The use of general data in a number of areas - from healthcare to housing to public transport to education etc etc etc - could be a good and valuable resource. Unfortunately, there is a general lack of trust in the agencies who acquire this data and a fear that it can either be misused or sold on to other organisations and then misused. For example, if the information is accurate, the DVLA is more than happy to make a few bob out of the information it holds! So, I guess, the use of data could be good in theory, but is tarnished by a great big question mark in practice!
Over time we have become subordinate to corporate and government data collection and mining systems that treat us as nothing more than maintenance units that need to be controlled or exploited, often both. Thus we are led down an ever narrowing path of choices we are manipulated into believing are "really good and varied" and "in our and societies best interests".
The whole Cambridge Analytica and Facebook fiasco shows how easy it is to tap into and manipulate public opinion.. whether for EUROPEAN referendum, US election or institutional notions about defining "us" and "them"
Outreach community projects that connect young and older generations so each can teach and learn skills. A place and relationship where constructive challenges of ideals and usages can take place to guide more wholesome uses of digital infrastructure and idea gathering.
There needs to be free/ cheap courses for adults without any digital skills and more vocational courses available to those in low paid jobs. People in their 60s and 70s increasing cannot afford to retire but often need extra help in getting suitable digital training. Libraries and local colleges could play a part in this, if they weren't being closed by local councils.
There is a idea that people do not need training to use facebook/twitter/whatsapp/etc and the use of all sorts of social media is increasingly part of many jobs. I am in my 50s and fairly accompished at using lots of software but have little knowledge when it comes to social media - and I don't just mean the press this button to do this stuff - I mean how to use it sensibly, effectively and safely in a business context. Like many people of my age I haven't grown up using it and don't use it socially - so why would I know how to use it at work?
I think the relentless use of qovt/local authority services that can only be accessed on line ignores the fact that many people still have no access to the equipment to use internet or have do not have the ability to use it or no training in its use or no support when they come up against difficulties. This unfairly affects those who are poor, older or disabled. There must remain other ways of accessing govt and council services, including in having our voices heard.
I would like there to be low cost courses to retrain us in the higher level IT skills - to help deal with the skills shortage and to give older people the chance for higher paid work
There is a wealth of knowledge on Youtube and other sites. What do you want to learn exactly?
I agree.
I hate that I am on twitter, and I can’t just delete the stuff i’ve looked at, and I appear to get endless messages repeating the same material. Similarly on
Facebook eg I get messages suggesting I say happy birthday and no way of clicking to do so directly. Too much rubbish seems to stay online. Hope GDPR will help reduce exposure to unwanted input!
Most of what I've learnt has been by just having a go. Then looking online for answers when I get stuck. I've had formal training in some areas also but its largely just getting stuck in.
If you wait for the training to come to you you may be waiting a long time.
I am lucky. My working life started with old metal keyed typewriter and finished with networked computer using Microsoft packages. In between used various packages, now not recognised, so vary au fair with technology. Now use iPad. I get mad when I see and hear messages they tell people to go to www. So many people do not have access or knowledge how to use computers. This will obviously change with generation currently at school. So how to train the 50 plus age group and do they want to learn and can they afford broadband at home. If living on a state pension then the answer is NO. Minimum £40 per month. So what are you, the London Council going to do? Nothing is my guess, just like to look as if you are. My Council Harrow has closed the libraries in the more needy areas and so people have lost access to computers as well as books.
Hi Vron
Thanks for sharing. You might be interested to read about the digital inclusion 'Mi-Wifi' pilot in Lewisham, where thanks to a £50,000 grant from City Hall, Lewisham residents were able to borrow a tablet for up to four weeks and were offered six hours of digital skills training. https://medium.com/@SmartLondon/mi-wifi-digital-inclusion-pilot-in-lewis...
The pilot is currently being evaluated, but we should soon have the results which will tell us if this is an effective model to reach those offline, and if so which groups.
What do you think of this pilot?
Talk London
I'm more than happy for my data to be shared for the common good, but only if there is rigorous control. I'm not convinced that this is possible, given the hacking capacity of creative geniuses who will sell their skills to those who want to bring about the downfall of a) US hegemony, b) Western (aka 'Christian') ideologies, or c) are very naive. Thank goodness for whistleblowers.
How to better prepare for the jobs of the future as technological developments disrupt the way we work and learn. I wish there was a closer partnership between employers and schools so that data was being used to update the way children/students learn in real-time. Why should we keep dedicating time, energy and resources on courses and degrees that aren't leading to good jobs and happy lives? All the data is out there to help students to make better decisions on how to prepare for the world of work and to put pressure on staff and faculty who are too comfortable with the status quo. Data should be used to hold them accountable for student engagement and graduate success.
Skills are needed across the board, from detailed firmware design education, through professional systems analysis, programming and scripting, down to training citizens to use day-to-day programs or apps competently.
The computer literate sneer at the last one, but I sigh with despair every time I see folk struggling to use a spreadsheet properly, or their ignorance of moderately advanced word-processing tricks, or even their floundering around setting up e-mail or browser settings. The Internet has completely transformed our world and those unable to use technology connected to it will be at severe risk from falling behind or being exploited or fleeced, now that everyone in the world is your competitor or potential criminal exploiter.
If a hard Brexit does happen, the UK will be between two hegemonies, the USA and China, both highly developed digitally, so that they either completely dominate online services (Google, Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, PayPal, eBay, etc., etc.) or make almost all the hardware that we use to access these services. Name a British IT success that has not subsequently been bought out by an American behemoth. There are a very few very specialist ones. Name a British computer, phone or camera manufacturer. Again there are a few very specialist ones, or with too small a turnover to be worth taking over. Think how many billions in visible (hardware) and invisible (the above list of services) imports alone sucks out of the UK, usually very 'tax efficiently'.
We desperately need to improve our IT skills across the board to enable our youth to cope with this. Starts in schools, through colleges and universities. We must revive our polytechnics. Unlike Germany, where technical universities still thrive, every single former Poly is now a Uni - speaks volumes for the anti-technology bias that still exists in British society.
Just another set of tickboxes dreamed up by the interns. No evidence that they have done anything to conform with GDPR.
When the big data leak comes they will keep quiet about it, deny it for as long as possible and fire nobody. Cambridge Analytica, anybody?
As a mathematician Im pretty shocked by how so many friends and people generally seem to have little working knowledge of data analytics
Id recommend such courses are readily available
I am all in favour of progress but I do not agree that some primary and secondary schools allows children and young people to their mobile phones whilst in class.
Some young people have no social skills and schools as the parents should reinforce the "face to face " social activities.
I believe digital skills is a positive skill to have although we tend to forget our elderly relatives.