Digitising public services needs to go hand in hand with digital inclusion
The UK’s political environment has been challenging this year, to say the least. From supporting the most vulnerable through the cost-of-living crisis, through to navigating our way through a potential recession, creating conditions for future economic growth has never been more important.
According to a study from the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr), a fully inclusive digital society – where every UK citizen is connected, has digital skills and can benefit from fully digitised public services and industries – can add £168 billion to the UK economy by 2030.
Digitisation of both public services and corporate products and services means improved efficiency, increased productivity and cost savings for government, businesses, and consumers. But these benefits can only be realised if all citizens have access to connectivity and the digital skills required to actively participate in the digital economy.
The Cebr report, which was commissioned by Cisco, estimates that the government can save £1.7 billion in aggregate by 2030 by equipping the digitally excluded in the UK with essential digital skills for life and enabling more people to access public services online.
Closing the digital skills gap can also reduce the strain on the NHS by providing more people with the opportunity to book online appointments, resulting in £1.3 billion in savings by 2030. However, one of the biggest opportunities according to the research would come from levelling up.
Levelling up the ‘digital’ playing field
According to the Cebr data, over 80% of the projected economic growth (£137 billion) is expected to come from outside of London, creating a huge opportunity to transform our society.
However, one of the obstacles to digitally levelling up is that access to high-speed connectivity is unevenly spread across the country and it can be prohibitively expensive for households in rural areas to upgrade internet connections. This needs to be tackled to ensure no part of the country is left behind.
To address this challenge, we are working with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to help them enhance their digital infrastructure and connect everything and everyone in the public sector. One of my proudest moments in 2022 was announcing the new GM One network, which will span local government, education, transportation and fire and rescue, and allow local authorities to improve information sharing, reduce their carbon footprint, and introduce more joined-up citizen services.
This partnership is part of the GMCA’s ambitious plans to transform the region into one of the most digitally connected and technologically advanced in Europe, an initiative which could add £4.8 billion in productivity gains to the Greater Manchester economy, by 2030.
Digital skills for everyone
But to be able to realise those benefits all citizens need to be able to participate in the digital economy.
We are working with GMCA to offer digital skills training, either to those who lack basic skills or are looking to develop them further as part of the Cisco Networking Academy. One of our key training sites, the iconic Manchester Central Library, provides free courses ranging from ‘Intro to Cyber Security’ to the basics to help ‘Get Connected’.
We’ve also partnered with UCEN Manchester, which recently opened its City Campus Manchester, to run a range of digital skills courses which are available to anyone in the Northwest of England. In addition to widening access to digital skills, we are working with SMEs and start-ups in the region to support the creation of products and services that have a positive social impact on local communities.
These initiatives are a great example of how government and private organisations can work together to close the digital divide and encourage economic growth. Digital infrastructure plays a vital role in our daily lives and is the foundation of a thriving digital economy. But digital innovation on its own is not enough. It needs to go hand in hand with digital inclusion to be able to have meaningful social impact.
By widening access to digital skills and advancing technology innovation, government and private organisations can revolutionise citizen services, improve productivity and drive economic growth opportunities for everyone. Only by empowering all citizens to participate in the digital economy, can we create a prosperous, fair, and thriving society where no one is left behind.
