Quickline partners with STEM Learning to enhance digital opportunities for disadvantaged young people

The fast growing Yorkshire based business, which brings fast and reliable broadband access to northern rural communities, will provide much needed and necessary funds over the next three years to STEM Learning’s ENTHUSE Charitable Trust.

The funding will transform the prospects of young people in areas of disadvantage by giving them greater access to computing equipment, improved teaching and summer camps where they can develop their confidence and experience. This will provide them with an insight and pathway into a successful and rewarding career in computing.

The partnership will create 12 ‘computing clusters’ in schools in areas of disadvantage across West Yorkshire. These schools will receive funding, will be helped to work towards the Computing Quality Mark in their computing curriculum and will be able to collaborate with each other to share successes and challenges. They will also have access to new computing kit.

Young people from the schools will also have the chance to attend STEM camps to further increase their skills. Taking place during school holidays, these will feature four days of intensive, face to face study followed by online career education support from mentors afterwards.

As well as this, the funding will give a total of 180 young people across the East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire the exciting opportunity of a two-week research placement – further developing their knowledge and appreciation of the potential of a rewarding STEM career.

STEM Learning’s CEO Séverine Trouillet said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to Quickline for this extremely generous donation which will allow young people in Yorkshire to have the equipment, skills and insight to prepare them for a career in computing.

“This is the essence of why we partner with employers. Quickline’s goal to ensure rural communities have access to fast broadband has a huge impact on these communities, and our work is all about impact too – developing the appreciation and love of STEM in young people and growing the talent pool.

“We are so grateful for this funding and can’t wait to see the many tangible benefits on the schools, teachers and young people who will be involved in exciting activities as a result and grow the skills needed for a thriving UK economy and society.”

Sean Royce, CEO at Quickline, said: “At Quickline, we are passionate about empowering the next generation with the skills they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

“Our partnership with STEM Learning and the funding we have provided is a significant step towards improving access to computing resources and education for young people in disadvantaged areas across large parts of Yorkshire.

“By offering essential equipment, teacher support, and summer STEM camps, we hope to inspire future innovators and help bridge the digital divide in these communities.”

Earlier this year, Quickline was awarded four Project Gigabit contracts covering the whole of Yorkshire and the majority of Lincolnshire which will see them provide 170,000 hard-to-reach premises with access to gigabit-capable broadband. Project Gigabit is a government-funded programme enabling communities that would otherwise miss out on access to fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband.

Quickline’s partnership with STEM Learning is part of an extensive social values programme the rural broadband provider has committed to under Project Gigabit. Quickline is supporting a broad range of initiatives focused on regional regeneration by helping organisations and individuals return to work, while also equipping young and disadvantaged people with valuable skills to secure employment. These efforts aim to create thriving communities, reduce inequality and enhance the environment.