Department for Education: Digital Technology

(asked on 28th August 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to hold discussions with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on that Department's digital strategy which is planned to be published in autumn 2020.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 8th September 2020

The Digital Strategy addresses the increased importance of digital technology and the crucial role it must play to drive growth in the tech sector, especially as digital technology has been at the centre of support through the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognise the critical importance of digital skills both in everyday life and for the wider UK economy. Alongside other Government Departments, we are working with DCMS to support their vision for digital driven growth through the Digital Strategy.

We have already made significant investments in digital skills that supports the acquisition of digital skills from foundation level right through to those required for cutting edge digital industries. The new computing curriculum (introduced from September 2014) ensures 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 £84 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. The first of three new Digital T Levels (Digital Production, Design and Development) will be introduced this September with a further two (Digital Support and Services and Digital Business Services) to follow in 2021.

The Government is also investing up to £290 million of capital funding to establish 20 Institutes of Technology. 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.

Finally, the Government introduced a new digital skills entitlement based on the new national standards in August 2020. Adults with no or low digital skills will have full funding to undertake improved digital skills qualifications, based on new national standards for essential digital skills, up to Level 1. The Government is also providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) for a new National Skills Fund to help adults learn new skills and prepare for the economy of the future. We will be consulting on the National Skills Fund in due course when those with an interest are better able to actively engage with it.

Reticulating Splines