b'12 Member News March 2022The future of engineeringDigital Poverty AlliancePaul Finnis, CEO Learning Foundation and Digital Poverty AllianceThe IET is a founding member of the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA). This is a group of organisations that are campaigning for better access to digital services and skills for all. Paul Finnis who is CEO of the DPA tells us more about recent activities.We have been busy and have four start-up workstreams:1Digital Poverty is a community issue and needs a community approach to fixit and so we are really pleased to have all key sectors aligned in this issue. To help #JoinTheDots we now have over 26 national and local Community Board members and 40 Ambassadors who have agreed to align with the Alliance.2To transform partner journeys and enable our community to collaborateand scale more effectively and efficiently we have launched the DPA Global Community Hub. This is where members of the Alliance can find out about According to Lloyds Bank Consumer Digitalevents coming up, debate topics of interest and meet other DPA Community Index, there are still 2.6m people offlinemembers in an informal but dedicated space. We would love for you to and 21% of people lacking digital skills forjoin the Alliance community so please do join the community hub herelife, with 11.8m of the UK workforce lackingdigitalpovertyalliance.org/communitythe essential digital skills for work. This is not just about adults. Nominet Digital Youth Index 2021 states that 32% of young3One of the most important aspects of our work is to support policy makers and wepeople do not have access to a devicehave supported the relevant All Parliamentary Party Groups to listen to a range of when they need it. stakeholders via a 5-day Parliament Summit. We have shared the outcomes of this summit alongside our work so far on reviewing all the relevant evidence via That is why David Lakin, IET Head ofthe interim UK Evidence Review. We have also started to collate all of the DPA Education, Safeguarding and Educationresearch community reports and you can see them via our directories.Policy, and I, together with the IETs leadership team decided to start the Digital Poverty Alliance so everyone can4There are huge opportunities to drive digital inclusion and equity, especiallyhave the opportunity to the life changingfor young people and over the next few months we will be sharing our proof-benefits of digital. I want to thank IETof-concept work with partners in driving policy change for young people; this members for your help in supporting theincludes leading initiatives, for example, creating an intervention for prison and Alliance as a Founder Partner and wouldex-service users, schools and teachers.We are only at the beginning and would like to update you on what we have beenlove you to get involved. You can follow our work by subscribing on our website up to since the Digital Poverty Allianceand/or joining the community hub. You can also follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.launched in September last year.One of our first jobs was to establish ourWe are currently focused primarily on the UK but are keen to learn from the experience board and, alongside you all as membersand understanding of other countries and, as we learn more, to share that outside of the of the IET, we also work alongside theUK too. Sowherever you are, please do join us and engage to ensure that everyone can brilliant team at Currys. We are lucky enjoy the amazing benefits that the digital world can offerfor learning, work and life.to have the advice and influence of our Co-Chairs Lord Jim Knight and Baroness Ruby McGregor Smith.'