Partner Article

1 in 4 people in the North East ‘have never used the internet’

Over a quarter of all adults in the North East have never sent an email according to new research from BT.

BT are now encouraging more people to get online as part of their Get IT Together campaign, and hopes to help another 100,000 people learn to use the internet by the end of 2012.

In an increasingly digital age, IT skills are vital. Over 90% of new jobs require it, applicants with web skills are 25% more likely to gain employment, and when they are in work, they are likely to earn up to 10% more.

The internet is also an increasingly useful tool for keeping in touch, as Chris sayers, BT’s North East regional director explains: “The internet can really help people to stay in touch particularly if you are isolated or live a long way from family and friends.

“There are still a huge number of people in the North East who have never sent an email.

“At BT we’ve been working since 2002 to tackle this digital divide and are committed to helping 100,000 more people get online by the end of the year.”

9 million people nationwide have also yet to connect to the internet, and BT are now hoping to help the UK to become the first nation in the world where everyone knows how to use the internet.

The UK’s digital champion Martha Lane Fox added: “It’s simply unacceptable that so many people are unable to benefit from what the web can offer.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .