Telefónica Tech’s continued partnership with Digital Xtra Fund contributes to digital skills initiatives for young people in Scotland.

Telefónica Tech is proud to provide continued support to Digital Xtra Fund – a Scottish charity aiming to give every young person in Scotland access to digitally creative activities, regardless of background. Since the charity’s conception in 2016, Digital Xtra Fund has granted £875k of funding, backing digital skills initiatives in schools and public organisations.

This year, Digital Xtra Fund has been able to award 50% more funding than in 2021 due to funders like Telefónica Tech. The charity’s £150k of fundraising this year has been distributed via 35 grants in 24 local authorities throughout Scotland – spanning primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, universities, libraries and other educational bodies – reaching around 7,500 young people. Some examples of these fantastic digital skills initiatives include extracurricular clubs dedicated to coding, robotics, digital creators, engineering and inventing.

Above: Digital Xtra Fund recipients enjoying the all-girls STEM club at Southmuir Primary School. Photo by Ross Johnston/Newsline.

Telefónica Tech is dedicated to investing in Scotland’s young people, believing that learning digital skills is crucial in an evolving digital world. Alongside other funding partners like ScotlandIS and JP Morgan, Telefónica Tech hope to inspire the next generation through digital technology by working with Digital Xtra Fund to remove some of the access barriers that previously existed.

In 2021, only 16% of those enrolled in computing degrees at university were women, and Telefónica Tech’s partnership with Digital Xtra Fund seeks to narrow this gender digital skills gap by encouraging girls and young women into STEM subjects. For example, two of this year’s grant beneficiaries include a ‘Girls in Gaming’ club at North Berwick Library and an all-girls robotics club at Kirkliston Primary School in Edinburgh. Overall, the 35 initiatives funded through Digital Xtra Fund will reach 3,800 girls and young women. This aligns with Telefónica Tech’s commitment to gender inclusion in the workplace – you can learn about Telefónica Tech’s collaboration with Microsoft’s TechHer initiative, encouraging more women into careers in the tech industry here.

If you would like to find out more information about Digital Xtra Fund or get involved, click here.