Borough residents urged to join IT course to boost digital skills and confidence – Yahoo News UK

Report on the Blackburn with Darwen ICT Skills Builder Initiative and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Local Initiative for Global Goals

The Blackburn with Darwen Council has implemented an ICT Skills Builder course aimed at enhancing the digital capabilities of its residents. This initiative directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. The program focuses on empowering individuals with the necessary skills for employment, personal development, and social inclusion in an increasingly digital world.

Advancing SDG 4: Quality Education and Lifelong Learning

The ICT Skills Builder course is a prime example of local action contributing to SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. The program provides accessible training for adults, addressing key targets within this goal.

• Target 4.4: Skills for Employment: The curriculum is designed to equip participants with relevant technical skills for the modern workforce.
• Target 4.6: Adult Literacy: For many participants, such as Mrs. Aisha Mulla, learning digital terminology has concurrently improved English language skills and overall literacy.

The course structure facilitates progressive learning, starting from foundational knowledge and advancing to practical applications:

1. Basic computer operations, including mouse and keyboard usage.
2. Proficiency in word processing and understanding IT terminology.
3. Advanced skills such as conducting online job searches and creating digital presentations.

Fostering SDG 8 (Decent Work) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

The initiative has demonstrated a significant impact on promoting sustained, inclusive economic growth and decent work for all (SDG 8). By empowering a female resident, it also makes a direct contribution to achieving gender equality (SDG 5).

Case Study: Aisha Mulla

The experience of Mrs. Aisha Mulla, a mother of two, highlights the program’s success in empowering women through technology (Target 5.b). Initially lacking confidence and digital experience, Mrs. Mulla’s journey through the course resulted in:

• Skill Development: Gaining the proficiency to search for jobs and complete online applications.
• Increased Confidence: A reported transformation from “zero confidence” to feeling proud and self-assured.
• Economic Empowerment: Actively seeking employment as a passenger transport assistant, contributing to her household’s economic prospects.

This personal growth inspired her husband, Fakir, to improve his digital skills, subsequently securing a job with the NHS. This demonstrates the program’s ripple effect on family-wide economic stability, aligning with SDG 8.

Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10) through Digital Inclusion

The council’s initiative is a targeted effort to reduce inequalities by bridging the digital divide (SDG 10). As stated by Cllr Shaukat Hussain, “Digital inclusion has a huge part to play in people being able to get on in life.” The program ensures that all residents, regardless of their starting point, have the opportunity to participate fully in a digital society.

Cllr Julie Gunn emphasized that the program’s success extends beyond IT skills, focusing on “building self-belief and using that belief to empower herself.” This approach promotes the social and economic inclusion of all, a core objective of SDG 10.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights issues and initiatives that are directly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis identifies the following relevant SDGs:

• SDG 4: Quality Education – The core of the article is about an “ICT Skills Builder course” organized by the local authority to help residents develop digital abilities. This directly relates to providing inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality – The article prominently features the story of Aisha Mulla, a mother of two, and details how the course helped her grow in confidence and gain skills. This focus on empowering a woman through education and technology connects to the goal of achieving gender equality.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – A key outcome of the skills course is improved employability. The article mentions that the course progresses to “job searches online” and that Mrs. Mulla is now able to “fill in online application forms in a bid to get a job.” Furthermore, her husband, after improving his skills, “has now secured a job with the NHS,” directly linking the initiative to promoting employment.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The initiative is framed as a measure for “digital inclusion,” aiming to help people who “feel completely out of place in a digital world.” By providing essential digital skills to residents who lack them, such as Mrs. Mulla who had never used a computer, the program works to reduce inequalities in access to technology and opportunities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the specific actions and outcomes described in the article, the following SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
   • Explanation: The article is centered on an “ICT Skills Builder course” designed for adults. It explicitly states the goal is to help residents “learn new skills to help them get on in life and at work.” The skills taught, such as using a computer, word processing, and searching for jobs online, are technical and vocational skills directly relevant to employment.
2. Target 5.b: Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women.
   • Explanation: The story of Aisha Mulla is a direct example of this target in action. She started with “zero” confidence and had never used a computer. Through the ICT course, she not only gained digital skills but also improved her English and built “self-belief,” which the article describes as “empower[ing] herself.”
3. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men…
   • Explanation: The article demonstrates a clear link between the skills training and employment outcomes. Mrs. Mulla is actively using her new skills to “search for jobs and fill in online application forms.” More concretely, her husband, Fakir, “has now secured a job with the NHS” after attending the IT sessions and updating his CV.
4. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all…
   • Explanation: The council’s digital boss, Cllr Shaukat Hussain, explicitly states that “Digital inclusion has a huge part to play in people being able to get on in life.” The program targets residents who are digitally excluded, like Mrs. Mulla, who was also “lacking in confidence in… English as a second language,” thereby promoting their social and economic inclusion in a “digital world.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several qualitative and quantitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• For Target 4.4: The primary indicator is the acquisition of specific ICT skills.
  • Implied Indicator: Proportion of adults with specific ICT skills. The article breaks this down by mentioning the skills taught: “how to switch it on,” “how to use a mouse,” “job searches online,” and “creating presentations.” Progress can be measured by the number of course participants who master these skills. This aligns with the official Indicator 4.4.1 (Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill).
• For Target 8.5: The indicator is the employment status of the course participants.
  • Implied Indicator: Employment rate of program graduates. The article provides a specific example of success: “he has now secured a job with the NHS.” Tracking the number of participants who find employment after completing the course would be a direct measure of progress. This relates to Indicator 8.5.2 (Unemployment rate).
• For Target 5.b: The indicator relates to women’s empowerment through technology.
  • Implied Indicator: The article provides a qualitative measure through Aisha Mulla’s testimony. Her statements, “slowly my confidence grew” and “I feel really happy now, and proud of myself,” serve as anecdotal evidence of empowerment. A quantitative measure could be the number of women enrolling in and completing the ICT course.
• For Target 10.2: The indicator is the participation of digitally excluded groups in training.
  • Implied Indicator: Number of individuals from marginalized or excluded groups (e.g., non-native English speakers, long-term unemployed, individuals with no prior computer experience) participating in the digital skills program. The article highlights Aisha Mulla as a “mother of two” with “English as a second language” who had “never used a computer before,” showing the program’s focus on including such individuals.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: uk.news.yahoo.com