Early Assessment of the Digital Innovators Ideator

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Abstract

An early assessment of the Digital Innovators Ideator for the now defunct Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.

The Ideator builds on the demand-led approach to Innovation programmes on the Innovation Birmingham Campus by linking it with a programme of activities developed by Digital Innovators (DI) for young people. Helping to build essential soft skills sought by employers by deploying the students’ digital skills through structured work experience opportunities in the form of innovation challenge. The project draws on Digital Innovators’ expertise in providing specialist support in upskilling young people aged 14 – 24. Including, vocational learning for young people at risk of leaving education or those whose employment status has been affected by the pandemic, to access employment based on their unique strengths and competencies.

The Ideator is delivered through a collaboration with employers based on the Innovation Birmingham Campus as well as corporates from the wider West Midlands area. The employers identify specific business issues that DI develops into innovation challenges which provide the basis of DI’s “learning by doing” approach where young people can build skills in a practical way by working on problem solving projects which generate ideas around potential solutions for businesses. This creates synergies with business support services that Bruntwood provides for its tenants on the innovation campus. It also provides another means of offering meaningful experience opportunities for young people businesses would like to attract as employees and contributes to achieving corporate social responsibility goals.

Each Ideator project is staffed by a combination of learners (“digital apprentices”), experienced designers, developers, and project managers as well as seasoned industry professionals from Digital Innovators own staff as well as those from local businesses. Facilitating the collaboration between young people in the region and employers through live work projects to produce tangible business improvements. This combination of learning by doing and specialist training enables young people to develop their employability, by developing key essential soft skills and exposing them to professional workplace and work.

To maximise wider economic benefits the Ideator has targeted young people considered to be at risk of becoming NEET, who would benefit from practical meaningful learning that allows use their existing digital skills within an innovation environment. This provides positive reinforcement in that have product or process for the sponsoring business as well as developing their soft skills as part of working in a team. It should be noted however, that these students were not currently NEET, only at risk of becoming NEET following the completion of their college careers.
Original languageEnglish
Commissioning bodyThe Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership
Number of pages39
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2023

Keywords

  • Evaluation
  • Digital Innovators Ideator

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