Inspiring digital in the next generation

Written by Alexandria Morgan, Digital Inclusion Officer, Trafford Council

Working within Digital Inclusion, my passion lies in nurturing digital skills within underserved communities, ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to thrive in an increasingly digital world. In this pursuit, the partnership between Trafford Council and Microsoft's North West Social Impact Team stands as a beacon of hope and progress, illuminating the path towards a future where digital literacy knows no bounds.

The partnership between Microsoft’s Social Impact Team and Trafford Council was born during the initial planning phase of our ‘Partington Project’, a community engagement project which aimed to increase residents’ participation with digital skills training and digital inclusion support available in the local area. At the core of our mission was one key objective, to raise the aspirations of our young people, encouraging them to see potential careers and the wealth of opportunities available in within digital careers. Through strategic alliances and a shared commitment to community empowerment, we set out to ignite our young people’s passion for STEM and equip them with the skills necessary to thrive in today’s world.

On our end, we took proactive steps to ensure the longevity and impact of the initiative. In partnership with Virgin MediaO2, Trafford Council established a coding club at Partington Youth Centre, providing 10 refurbished laptops to enhance the centre's capacity to deliver digital support to young people. This initiative wasn't just about equipping individuals with technical skills; it was about fostering a sense of belonging and community, empowering young people to realise their full potential in an inclusive and supportive environment. I had a front-row seat to watch the coding club come to life, attending and co-delivering the first session and hearing the excitement in the girl-heavy room (hooray!) as they chatted away about how fantastic their recent Minecraft coding session was at school. A phenomenal success!

But our journey hasn’t ended there… Building upon the momentum generated by the Minecraft workshops and coding club, we have begun our next stage of the journey, to train our Partington high school students as mentors in Minecraft Education. This collaborative approach not only reinforces ties between primary and secondary IT education, but also empowers our students to become agents of change within their own community. We now have our own set of digital champions in Trafford, sitting in the IT suite of Broad oak High School.

As we reflect on the transformative impact of this initiative, one thing becomes abundantly clear: the power of collaboration and collective action to create positive change. By uniting local authorities, private sector partners and community stakeholders, we have laid the foundation for a future where digital inclusion is not just a goal but a reality for all.