Students with disabilities or additional educational needs have been given laptops and other devices by New City College to help them overcome exclusion from online education.
The college is providing 200 devices to help those on courses at the Poplar and Shoreditch campuses who don't have laptops, smartphones or tablets.
It has been given funds from the Good Things Foundation charity, which supports socially excluded people to improve their lives through technology.
Access to technology had helped people with disabilities stay connected during the lockdowns and reduced loneliness, New City’s deputy curriculum director Andy Greaves said.
“This project has helped us take steps to address exclusion,” he said. “Lockdown brought into focus the need to provide learners with the tools for digital study and employment.”
People on work experience placements in IT and those on supported internship programmes helped set up tablets with 24gb of data ready for the students to use.
Learning support teams also gave one-to-one sessions and held workshops at the Poplar High Street and Falkirk Street campuses to make sure the students could use their new devices with confidence.
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