FAQs about Inspire

What is Inspire?

Inspire is an interactive course that unpacks digital inclusion for a wide audience. It's usually part of a broader CSR/ ESG initiative to promote digital inclusion. 

How does it work?

The core offering is simple. Inspire is based around a bite-size, interactive e-learning course. It unpacks digital inclusion and the importance of digital skills. Employees are galvanised to look at their own digital skills and use them in a practical context to help others, by making a specific pledge to help someone learn something new. 

What kind of organisations use it?

Generally, our Inspire clients are from the private sector and have an interest in promoting digital inclusion, either for clients, colleagues or beneficiaries in the wider community. For example, we work with financial institutions who want to make sure that digital inclusion is embedded across their company and that as they become increasingly digital-first, they don't leave colleagues and clients behind; or we work with digital consultancy firms who want a CSR offering that builds on skills employees already have, in a sector to which they already feel a connection. You can see some of our clients here.

How does it fit into a digital inclusion strategy?

Inspire is usually part of a wider strategy. It might be the first step in a journey for everyone, with different pathways after. For example, Virgin Media O2 Business run a programme in which everyone does Inspire, and then those particularly interested in helping in the community go on to do more intensive training on the Digital Champions Network. Capgemini use Inspire as part of a suite of digital inclusion programmes that aims to help everyone from absolute beginners to up-and-coming coders.

We've found that though Inspire is ready-to-go, every company we work with wants to use it differently and maximise its impact in line with their strategy. Part of our initial discussions with you will be about how to best implement it to meet your goals. You can find our more about our consultancy process and read some Inspire case studies. 

How much does it cost?

Our prices depend on the kind of organisation you are, and the size and complexity of your project and the amount of support your want. 

Inspire training and resources

What do people learn and how?

Inspire is an online course, It takes around an hour to complete and is interactive, bite-sized and builds on our award-winning expertise creating training courses. The course unpacks the issues around digital inclusion, explaining what it is, how it can impact people and what the crucial skills are. It then looks at successful approaches to helping someone learn something new. Employees then go onto to complete their pledge, which is the fourth module.

How is it delivered?

Inspire is an online course, and can be completed at the learners own pace and revisited as many times as they like. However, some companies like to deliver the training as part of a longer, more interactive session, and we have a version that you can "present" as part of an event if you prefer. Some companies use a mixture of both, depending on who is doing the course.

What kind of pledges do people make?

Pledges are usually focused round friends, family sometimes even colleagues. Some pledgers help out in their local community - at schools or libraries or community groups. But most like to start small and close to home. Here are some examples...

What are the benefits of this kind of volunteering?

Employees can volunteer in a way that's convenient for them at a time and place that suits them, which is  especially important if they have busy, demanding jobs.

It shows them how doing something small can make a big digital difference to someone else - and they can swiftly see the tangible benefits of their actions. Some of our volunteers go on volunteer in more structured community programmes, but lots enjoy it so much, they go onto make repeated pledges. 

This kind of volunteering can also improve soft skills in all sorts of ways - from active listening to coaching. And depending on how you run it within your company, it can be a great way to strengthen connections across the company, at different levels and in different business units.

Project planning & management support

How do we get started?

Before we start on the detail, we'll work with you to ensure you get the most out of Inspire, and that's it planned and rolled-out to maximum effect.   We'll make sure it's aligned with your wider digital inclusion strategy and that you have the right people and processes in place to make it work. For example, you might want to look at adapting the content for a specific audience; at approaches to get senior stake holders on board or the value of running a pilot. Here's more about the consultancy help we provide. This comes as standard as part of Inspire.

We find that our clients are often passionate about digital inclusion and how their projects are evolving. They usually keen what they've learned, so we can connect you with them.You can find out more about some of previous Inspire stories here.  

What set-up support is there?

We give provide everything you need to get the project up & running including workshops, weekly calls and a portfolio of planning documents for programme managers with advice and ideas on everything from recruiting volunteers to running reports. 

We'll also tailor the version of Inspire that your employees see with your logo/ branding, ensuring all communications/ registration forms come with your corporate identity. And it has built-in automatic email reminders to help address common sticking points in the learning journey, encouraging volunteers along and reminding them of what they need to do next.

How do we manage and evaluate an on-going project?

The course stimulates employee volunteering in a way you can evidence. A comprehensive management dashboard gives your Project Managers access to data and downloadable reports on all aspects of your  programme, including registrations, pledges and learning journey completions.

The reporting system is simple to use, but we'll walk you through it and provide reporting templates. We're always around to help with any problems, but we usually find a monthly call to discuss project management, and a quarterly call to look at strategic plans works well.