Government shows big commitment to digital learning Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - 12:04

Home Access was the first to be announced, by Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday 11 January, which means that over a quarter of a million low-income families will get free access to laptops and broadband. This was followed by details of Online Basics - which will provide resources to help a million new adult internet users over the next three years.

And today Get Digital is unveiled, a £2.9m investment to give 20,000 people living in sheltered housing the internet access to boost the number of silver surfers, which will be delivered by NIACE and Digital Unite.

Alastair Clark, Senior Programme Director of NIACE's Digital Learning Team, said:

"The Online Basics offer is a very important commitment by government to ensuring that more adults get the many benefits from using the Internet. We do know that not everyone learns about computers in the same way and that people learn best through purposeful activity related to their own lives. Online Basics is an excellent commitment and it must be delivered in a flexible way with good quality support and with the right access to a variety of progression routes."

"Home Access is a tremendous offer which can provide access to the online world to families on low incomes. This will have the greatest impact where both adults and children alike have access to good quality training and support."