In the UK, a significant proportion of the population struggles with digital literacy. Research highlights that 12.1 million people – equivalent to 23% of the UK population – are categorised as having very low digital skills (UK Consumer Digital Index 2024).
This low digital ability often becomes a barrier as people can’t experience the benefits and convenience of the online world. For example, they can’t manage their money efficiently using online banking, they can’t order groceries online to suit their schedule, and they can’t save money by shopping around for the best online prices.
But more than this, low digital skills becomes a barrier to employment.
Participating in the job market, that predominantly exists online, becomes impossible for those with low or no digital skills. Not to mention the fact that many employers now expect applicants to have an advanced digital skillset.
This reality is widening the digital skills gap, resulting in more and more people being left behind.
But this needn’t be the case.
To break down barriers and close the skills gap in their borough, the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames partnered with We Are Group to deliver a Digital Skills Training programme to their residents.
Kingston Council utilised funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund as well as a supportive supplier of devices – adding additional value to our personalised Digital Skills Training.
Since the beginning of our partnership in January 2023, we’ve been empowering Kingston residents with essential digital skills and devices so that they can access and participate in the job market successfully.
And thanks to our network of Community Partners that delivers our training locally, we have been able to reach and empower more people in the borough. One of our Community Partners that’ve helped us do this is the Migrant Advocacy Service.
The Migrant Advocacy Service became our Community Partner in January 2025 and has since played a key role in connecting Kingston residents with our Digital Skills Training programme. In just the first month of our partnership, 44 residents had learnt essential digital skills!
We had the opportunity to chat with Lubna Maktari, Director and Project Manager at the Migrant Advocacy Service, to gain more insight into their work and the positive impact they've made by delivering our Digital Skills Training.
What is the Migrant Advocacy Service?
The Migrant Advocacy Service is a non-profit organisation that works with vulnerable migrants living, working or studying in and around the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Many of the people they work with are women who have settled in the UK through marriage and have spent years in the home setting.
Lubna explained: “Some of our ladies are on our radar to get work-ready as they have good skills which are out of date and in need of refreshing, or they show intelligence and good willingness to work and learn and we are trying to identify their best skills that can be transferred into the workplace.”
The Migrant Advocacy Service also support other commissioned projects and resettlement schemes, with a significant one being for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.
How has Digital Skills Training empowered Kingston residents?
A majority of participants value the free device provided, recognising it as something they would typically struggle to afford. Lubna highlighted: “The devices, of course, is the main benefit as without them participants cannot make progress”. Offering residents a free device ensures they can continue their digital journey long after their training finishes and combats the income barrier that often limits internet access.
The personalised and flexible nature of the training has also proven highly effective. Allowing participants to decide when and where to complete their training, alongside the option of learning in a familiar language, has driven engagement and enriched experiences.
“When delivering Digital Skills Training for We Are Group, we use our office, two different community centres, and hold some sessions in the houses of the participants. We also provide caseworker interpreters to support the participants that benefit from learning in their first language.”
Lubna also mentioned that the training has given many participants the opportunity to improve their English, so they now feel more capable in applying for jobs and more confident in engaging with people at work and in their communities.
“With their new tablets and laptops, participants have been able to make a lot of progress with many things, including learning English which is fundamental to their ability to find work.”
Inspiring Impact – the case of ‘Mrs S’
One of the programme’s participants, Mrs S, showcases the impact of the training. Before the training, she relied entirely on family members to complete basic digital actions, such as typing letters. She was unaware of the built-in templates and formatting tools that could simplify her tasks.
During the session, Mrs S was taught the basics of word processing. The clear and straightforward instructions from her trainer meant she could independently create letters, which boosted her self-confidence and saved her time and effort.
The trainer’s patience and understanding also benefitted Mrs S as it made her learning journey quick and easy yet comfortable.
As well as this, Mrs S learnt to use spreadsheets – something she had no knowledge of before.
With a newfound understanding of applications and tools, she has discovered how much she can achieve.
The training has not only equipped her with essential digital skills for everyday tasks but has also sparked a genuine enthusiasm for further learning.
“Mrs S has learnt a lot through this course, but she is hungry for more!” said Lubna, reflecting the programme’s ability to inspire participants.
Overall, the programme has met a huge demand within Kingston. It has empowered residents to unlock the benefits of the digital world and build a brighter future for themselves. Lubna and her team have been delighted to partner with us on our programme’s mission to bridge the digital divide and open employment opportunities, commenting: “access to digital devices and skills for the families has been requested from the start of their arrival in the borough, and it was only through We Are Group that we could make this happen.”
You can read more inspriring stories here!
