Digital Poverty Alliance
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DPA launches Tech4Youth in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland continues to experience the highest levels of digital poverty in the UK. In rural areas, where around 17 per cent of homes still lack decent broadband, access to online services cannot be assumed. For young people aged 11 to 16, this shapes how education is accessed and how effectively they can engage with systems that now operate primarily online.
Tech4Youth is being delivered in Northern Ireland to support young people experiencing digital poverty with free laptops, digital literacy workshops, and online access support. The programme prioritises young people with health conditions or disabilities, caring responsibilities, or experience of the care system, alongside the families supporting them. These are households more likely to face isolation and greater difficulty completing education and building skills when access to technology is limited or unreliable.
Delivery in the region has already taken place. Last year, 60 laptops were distributed to young people across Northern Ireland through Tech4Youth, reflecting both the level of need and the role access plays in enabling participation in education and everyday digital life.
Tech4Youth is built around direct provision. Laptops are donated, refurbished, and redistributed so unused technology is placed where it is needed, alongside digital literacy workshops and online access support. The focus is not on aspiration, but on removing practical barriers that prevent young people from engaging on equal terms.
As Elizabeth Anderson, CEO, Digital Poverty Alliance, explains, the implications of exclusion are no longer theoretical.
“Essential services such as education, healthcare, and banking continue to move online, making digital access no longer a luxury but a necessity. For young people, this access is especially critical, as without a reliable device, digital skills, and a stable internet connection, they risk falling behind in school, missing out on qualifications, and struggling to take their first steps into the workplace.”
Original article link: https://digitalpovertyalliance.org/news-updates/dpa-launches-tech4youth-in-northern-ireland/
