The Hg Foundation has partnered with The Access Foundation to support Birkbeck, University of London to boost digital skills development.

Birkbeck is the educational home to one of the most diverse communities of learners; 40% are from households with an income below £25,000, 78% are juggling studies with work and caring responsibilities, 48% of undergraduates are from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, and the average age of students is 35 years old.

The partnership will be implemented through The Access to Digital Skills and Careers Programme (ADSCP), designed to create pathways to digital and technology careers for Birkbeck students, particularly for underrepresented groups.

The ADSCP consists of three key pillars: a Career Accelerator bootcamp, a Tech Skills certification scheme, and an Access Tech micro-placement initiative. The programme launched last year with funding support from The Access Foundation. In this pilot year, the programme supported 328 students to improve their digital skills and explore careers in the technology sector, of which 90% of participants had at least one marker of socio-economic disadvantage.

With The Hg Foundation joining The Access Foundation as co-funders, the programme aims to double its reach in the current academic year, reaching a total of 660 students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who face barriers to digital and technology careers. Birkbeck will measure the impact of the programme by tracking employment outcomes of the students involved and who is applying to and securing jobs in the tech sector.