Sunderland

CITY OF SUNDERLAND (UK)

Sunderland was recently named one of the 7 most IT intelligent communities in the world.

The Evaluation report on the implementation of the European Communication e-skills for the 21st century (European Commission and European e-skills Steering Committee, October 2010) states a relatively high e-skills gap reported by the interviewed enterprises for the United Kingdom: e-skills gap indicator 3 (on a scale range from 1-7).

This challenge is reflected also in the local situation: enterprises confirm a gap between the demands of e-skilled employers and the supply of an appropriately e-skilled workforce (see headline data in the notes: http://www.labourmarketnortheast.co.uk/news.html).

The EU e-skills monitor (http://www.eskills-monitor.eu/) foresees an excess demand for ICT practitioners for the year 2015 in a back to normal scenario (after the economic crisis is overcome) of 1.100.000 jobs in the UK. The same expectations can be assumed for Suderland. The city is offering multiple potential employments in the digital economy and the need for highly skilled ICT practitioners in the present and future is a fact.

Thus, Sunderland is facing the same challenge as the E4C partner cities and the promotion of ICT related employments and the continuous updating of digtal skills in order to fight the e-skills gap has to be intensified.

Furthermore, the digital divide can also be noticed in the city of Sunderland. Especially specific age groups and city areas are affected by a low level of digital literacy (see headline data in the notes: http://www.labourmarketnortheast.co.uk/news.html).

Thus, in order in order to increase e-inclusion and promote their employability, the city faces the challenge to promote ICT user skills to the population irrespectively of gender, age and region.

The participation of the city of Sunderland in the thematic network is based on a solid experience in some of the challenges outlined:
 -Digital Challenge winner: The Digital Challenge sought to establish new methods of working with technology, targeting hard to reach groups and individuals who may have been digitally excluded for any of a number of reasons. (http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2687)
 -Community IT projects – Electronic Village Halls, Digital Champions etc.
 -Fostering e-skills with innovative interactive initiatives, such as: Supporting Race Online http://raceonline2012.org/
 -UK Online Centres
 -UK Digital Challenge winners 2007
 -Corporate Improvement Programme
 -Microsoft Britain Works winners 2010 – Over 1,500 local residents and employees took advantage of the £10m scheme during an 18 month period
 -Virtual Learning Environment platforms.

Current and future plans include:
 -Developing cloud hosting capability through the Learn Anytime Platform
 -‘Go On Sunderland’ post-Race Online
 -Further partnership working with key stakeholders to tackle digital and financial inclusion in a more integrated way
 -Employment and Skills Strategy for the city – this will recognize the importance of ICT and the growing software sector within Sunderland and will set out how partners can work together to ensure local people can access jobs and aspire to careers in these sectors.

These activites are endorsed by the following local strategies:
 -Digital Manifesto
 -Sunderland Strategy, 2012-2025: in particular aim 1: To create an enterprising and productive global city with a strong and diverse economy providing jobs and careers for generations to come. A city where everyone has the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from the regional economy, to fulfil their potential to be skilled…”
 -By the national strategy “New Industry New Jobs, Going for Growth, Jobs of the Future, Digital Britain”(
http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/465/1/GoingforGrowth.pdf)