Community benefits of e technology Peter Marchant Head

Community benefits of e - technology Peter Marchant Head of Libraries Knowsley Library Service

Profile of Knowsley • Population 154, 000 • East of Liverpool in Merseyside • Objective One Status • Index of Deprivation

Knowsley is typified by : • A large child population • High number of households where no-one is working • Low car ownership • High levels of benefit dependency • An educationally disadvantaged adult population • High numbers of pupils with special education needs • Poor attendance in secondary schools

Key Factors • Lack of qualifications main barrier • Training in computing increasing chances of employment • Lack of mobility • Employers need ICT related skills • Dependent on public-access facilities • Community Information Programme

Learning Resource Centres • ICT hardware / software / information super-highway • Free access / 120 computers in 7 libraries • Over 95, 000 users in the past year • Key feature - staff support • Drop in ICT facilities for all sectors of the community • Open access training facilities • Drop in facilities for the Small Medium Enterprise sector

Lifelong Learning using ICT • Informal and formal educational opportunities • Drive to re-skill the local workforce • ECDL qualification in IT • Library staff acting as moderators / assessors • 85 people trained who obtained ICT qualifications • Learndirect

Regeneration through employment • Excellent job search facilities • Empathy, trust and respect • Supporting unemployed people to use ICT in order to secure employment • 50 Residents gaining employment • Growth in revenue budget

Supporting Small-Medium Enterprise (SME) facilities • Skilling the community to compete • ICT hardware, software and training facilities • Company Information • Business related software • Business link and their expert advice • Over 100 businesses supported in Halewood

Study Support • Involving young people and the whole family in a holistic view of learning • Multimedia networked PCs • Free Internet access • Staff guidance and support • Free printing and photocopying facilities • Virtual information service • Excellence in Cities Initiative • Serving over 40, 000 visits by pupils in the past year

New Deal Scheme • Supporting the Government’s New Deal initiative • Participants offered work placements after 6 months • Encouraging the community’s use of ICT • 8 people obtained ICT related jobs in the past year • 5 people obtained permanent jobs in the library service

Creche facilities • Supporting women with young children • Working with Early Years and Childcare Partnership • Mobile creche offered on a weekly basis • Taster sessions • Progression to accredited courses • Over 50 people benefited so far

Braille transcription service • Access to information for visually impaired people • Free publicly available transcription service • Community contacts / links with other services • Serving individuals / other Council departments • Over 70 documents created in the last year

Disaffected pupils project • Students excluded from mainstream education • behavioural problems • bullying • pregnancy • Encouraging use of ICT facilities • Completed Open Learning for Children packages • Regular library members • Returned to full-time education • Over 30 young people gaining personal and social development in the past year • Cost to Education Authority of excluded pupils

Future Developments • Family Learning Centre - quiet study areas - play areas - facilities to watch films and listen to music - activity based areas • Virtual Library

Contact Details Peter Marchant Head of Libraries peter. marchant. dlcs@knowsley. gov. uk www. knowsley. gov. uk http: //history. knowsley. gov. uk