Chair: Kerensa Jennings, director, The Duke of York Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA). Speakers: Ben Pilkington, project manager, employment and skills, Tameside Council Shauna Burns, careers advisor, Manchester Metropolitan University Commander Paul Haines, commander public relations, Royal Navy Karen Sheppard, director, People First Mobility Duke of York Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA) is an international programme aiming to help address the digital skills gap. The programme provides free digital skills education in the form of engaging online modules (badges). The iDEA curriculum has been curated to help inspire people all over the world to become Digital Citizens, Workers, Makers, Entrepreneurs and Gamers to enhance their employability; and to help them become economically active. iDEA is about lifelong learning, for anyone who wants to develop their skills. iDEA learners include school pupils, apprentices, business leaders, pensioners, students and community groups. Colleges and universities are using iDEA to support the development of digital skills of their students and staff. The Bronze Award launched in 2017 and the Silver Award in 2018. Since then, a quarter of a million learners have signed up, 1.4 million badges have been won, and more than 15,000 people have achieved the Bronze Award. Almost 2,000 learners have already achieved the Silver Award, and iDEA is being used to help people develop skills in more than100 countries. The Jisc digital capability discovery tool has linked to the Bronze resources and colleges and universities are using these materials to support their staff and students. The Jisc digital capability discovery tool has linked to the bronze resources and colleges and universities are using these materials to support their staff and students. In this session, Kerensa will chair a panel of speakers who will share their experiences of using iDEA to support digital skills of the communities they support. Representatives from all areas of the education sector will be represented as well as small businesses who are realising the benefits of iDEA and how this is changing lives of those within their communities.

3. Karen Sheppard
Director, People First Mobility
Commander Paul Haines
Royal Navy, Youth and Cadets COS
Shauna Burns
Manchester Metropolitan University
Ben Pilkington
Employment and Skills, Tameside Council