MHCLG-Funded Laptops Bring Digital Confidence to Real World Readiness

Over the past five months, our Real World Readiness sessions have gained a new resource: a set of laptops funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). We rolled out access in phases, starting with a small group and expanding as each cohort settled into using the devices for their own work.

The change has been noticeable session by session. Young people who were hesitant to open a browser are now navigating tools independently, completing tasks online, and helping each other troubleshoot. Digital confidence is not taught in a single workshop; it is built through repeated, hands-on use, and having devices in the room makes that possible.

Real World Readiness exists to prepare young people for the practical demands of adult life – money, work, communication, and the systems they will have to deal with. Almost all of those systems are now digital. In a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence and rapid technological change, these skills are essential rather than optional, and access to the equipment is the first step.

We are grateful to MHCLG for funding the devices and for backing this vision. We look forward to building on it in the sessions ahead.