Charities tackling digital exclusion are being urged to focus on developing “softer skills” among beneficiaries, such as building their confidence and motivating them to use technology.

Equipping people with so-called “soft skills” to tackle motivational barriers is key to ensuring vulnerable and disadvantaged people can feel confident in using digital technology to access support and gain employment.

The findings have emerged in a report by digital inclusion charity Good Things Foundation following a year’s research it carried out with Acccenture and Nesta.

This also urges politicians to recognise the important role that local community-based organisations can play in helping people to build confidence in using tech and tackle digital exclusion.

These “hyperlocal organisations are often best placed to help people build confidence and learn digital skills simultaneously”, says the report.

Building confidence in using technology is especially important amid the Covid-19 pandemic and an increase in remote working and online support, said Good Things Foundation chief executive Helen Milner.

“Remote working due to COVID-19 has changed working patterns permanently,” she said.

“This makes upskilling the workforce even more vital. With the UK in the grips of another national lockdown and nine million adults unable to use the internet without help, the Government needs to demonstrate a strong commitment to fix the digital divide, to support economic recovery.”

The report, called Shocks, knocks and skill building blocks, also urges digital inclusion experts to focus on “better decision-making and resilience to setbacks, to lay the foundations for workers to embrace digital skills and thrive”.

It cites evidence showing that while at least eight out of ten jobs require digital skills, only around half of working age adults have such skills. Manual workers with strong digital skills can earn around £2,000 more a year than those in the same jobs with poor technology skills.

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