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Projects and pilots myguide Background myguide is both a website - www.myguide.gov.uk - and a service. The site offers a free, easy to use email service and web search facility from a clean, simple homepage which can be personalised to the individual. It's designed to be supported by staff in local centres who help make sure people's first steps onto the internet are a positive experience. The myguide project was originally announced by the DTI/DfES (Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Education and Skills) in the 'Opportunity for all' White Paper in 2001 and was included in the 'Curriculum Online' consultation paper. Ufi took over the design, management and delivery of the project in 2004, and myguide is now managed by the UK online centres team. The vision for the myguide project is to make the internet available and accessible to those who have never used it before. The myguide service is aimed at 'hard to reach' audiences who are currently excluded from using the internet, whether as a result of age, culture, disability, attitude or a lack of knowledge and education. myguide is also aimed at those not actively targeted by any other government or private sector initiatives.
Piloting and testing myguide An initial myguide pilot took place in 2006 in five areas - Blackburn, Leicester, Norfolk, Gloucester and London (Southwark and Lambeth). It found that it is the support as much as the website which helps first-time internet users become increasingly confident and self-sufficient 'surfers'. - 97% of customers enjoyed using the service
- 82% felt it had given them both the motivations and the self-confidence to keep using the internet
- 57% said they wanted to go on and do an education or training course
- 64% said it had made them think about looking for more satisfying or varied work.
The full myguide pilot research report is available in the Reading Room. The myguide pilot was followed up by a test marketing campaign in the South East and West Midlands, which took place at the beginning of 2007 and sought to evaluate the best ways of getting very hard-to-reach audiences interested in the internet and into their nearest UK online centre. Following the pilot and test marketing campaign, the national rollout of myguide was approved by the Department of Education and Skills in May 2007. myguide is now available in UK online centres across England.
Case study Marathon runner Frank catches internet bug When someone asked Frank Foley, 59, if they could send him an email at work, he panicked! But it made him decide to do something about his fear of the internet once and for all. Read more about Frank Foley Return to About UK online centres
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