London Regional ICT Champion

A quick line on UK recipients of the Microsoft Unlimited Potential Program…..

Application criteria and process here.

Black Country Consortium
The Black Country Consortium (BCC) project is a long-term commitment supported by Microsoft to develop a stronger knowledge economy by improving the skills of the current labor force and providing basic skills to the unemployed. Through a network of 120 community technology centers, disadvantaged communities are receiving technology skills training in the Black Country region. The project ultimately aims to enable job growth and sustained economic opportunity in this economically depressed region. BCC works closely with Black Country Knowledge Society, to provide technology training at all levels, and with the Black Country Learning Net, to broaden digital inclusion in the community.

Age Concern
In Western Europe, there are limited work force opportunities for unemployed people over 50.  As a part of the Black Country project, Age Concern’s mission is to address unemployment in the Black Country region by supporting all people over 50 through a digital inclusion network as well as promoting micro-entrepreneurship through the PRIME initiative. The PRIME initiative is a charity linked to Age Concern, which strives to help people older than 50 consider options for self-employment and micro-entrepreneurship. In supporting this goal, Microsoft Unlimited Potential funding will be used to run community workshops on self-employment and to ensure appropriate IT skills training is delivered. It will help recruit mentors for potential micro-entrepreneurs and help track progress of people who are starting small businesses.

Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB)
Seventy-five percent of people who are blind or have low vision are unemployed in the United Kingdom. The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) is part of the Black Country project. Its mission is to empower people with visual disabilities to improve employment opportunities through IT skills training. The RNIB partnership will drive increased accessible IT skills training and access to employment for blind and partially sighted people of working age. Microsoft Unlimited Potential funding will support the cost of training trainers, making training centers accessible, and providing employer awareness training on disabilities in the workplace.