The questions addressed in this programme relate to the future of adults’ working lives that are affected by technological change and new work formats. The programme will discuss how Scotland’s digital knowledge and skills can be strengthened to respond to challenges that derive from its geography and from the threat of digital exclusion. It concentrates on three themes: learning and sustaining knowledge for work in digital society; overcoming exclusions linked to geography; poverty, age, gender and ability as factors in exclusion. The programme events and meeting will allow participants to understand the implications of Scotland’s digital strategy for sustaining jobs in rural and socially excluded areas and suggest ways of addressing digital exclusions among workers. To this end the programme will identify ways that learning (including linguistic and cultural) can be promoted to benefit digital working; produce insights into how digital technologies are used in the workplace; provide recommendations for guidelines to reduce digital exclusions, particularly those associated with poverty, age, gender, rurality and disability.
Programme team: Dr Irene Malcolm (University of Dundee); Prof. Vicki Hanson (University of Dundee); Prof. Claire Wallace (University of Aberdeen); Mr Kaharevic Sanjin (Scottish Government); Mr Brian McKechnie (University of Strathclyde); Mr John McCann (Scotland’s Colleges); Ms Marion Beattie (Skills Development Scotland); Mr Donald Jarvie (Scotland’s Futures Forum); Mr Ewan McIntosh (NoTosh Limited).