The coronavirus lockdowns have intensified the need to have regular and reliable access to the digital world to stay connected. However, for many young people, this is simply out of reach.
In the past year, we have loaned 16 laptops and 5 webcams to our students, as well as providing 7 tablets and online data to young people that would otherwise be unable to access our services. Without intervention, these young people would have been locked out of education or left unable to apply for online job opportunities.
This is deeply concerning as it indicates that some of our community’s most vulnerable are being denied equal access to knowledge and chances to improve their prospects. With children living in poverty already at risk of lower attainment, digital deprivation poses a real threat to young people’s futures.
By offering technology and removing these barriers, our students have been able to receive 1-to-1 support from tutors, complete their qualifications and hear expert advice from business insiders to inspire their career journeys. This is especially important for NEET young people in rural areas for which our courses may be the only interaction they have had with their peers in many months.
We continue to do all we can to ensure young people in Suffolk have access to the resources and education they need to advance, including providing technology for those that need it most.
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