So what’s the big iDEA?

The Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA) is a completely free online tool that all Sport for Development organisations can use to develop their participants’ digital, enterprise and employability skills.

Completing a series of online challenges enables users to win career-enhancing badges, unlock new opportunities and ultimately gain industry-recognised awards. It’s ideal for anyone who wants to develop their skills. 

iDEA is about stage. Bronze is beginner level, Silver intermediate, and Gold, when available, will be advanced.

iDEA learners range from school pupils to students to apprentices to jobseekers to returners to pensioners to entrepreneurs to people with special educational needs and people who have never even accessed the internet before.

The programme is the digital and enterprise equivalent of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (the ‘digital DoE’) and is recognised by UCAS in the same way.

The challenges are split into core categories, each with its own series of digital badges (short, interactive courses) – citizen, worker, maker, entrepreneur and gamer. As well as being fun, the badges provide a visual acknowledgement of achievement which can then lead to increased employment marketability in the technology and enterprise sectors.

iDEA is completely free and accessible globally on any modern device, operating system and browser – so you can play iDEA digital badges anywhere you can get online (free access and access for all!).

It’s about opening up opportunities for people in the job market, and in the online world more generally where increasingly to make the most of life, it is becoming important to be able to operate in a digital environment.

iDEA badges can take between ten minutes and just over an hour to do. They are very flexible – you can do them with your friends, on your own, or in classroom or workshop or club environments. iDEA badges support both formal and informal learning.

Millions of iDEA badges have been completed around the world, with the programme described as ‘life-changing’. The deputy chief executive of Wigan Council stated that ‘iDEA has changed and saved lives in Wigan.’

In June 2018, Wigan Council won the Digital Skills or Inclusion Initiative of the Year category in the prestigious national Digital Leaders 100 Awards for their work rolling out iDEA to all of their residents. 

iDEA’s partnerships include local authorities, schools and colleges, the armed forces, small business and trade organisations, community groups for adults, youth groups, corporates, international bodies, digital skills and enterprise organisations. 

There is rich potential here for Sport for Development organisations working on developing their participants’ skills and employability. 

 

For more information, go to https://idea.org.uk/about

To join Alliance of Sport on iDEA

Sign up for free at iDEA.org.uk

Add the Orgniser Code AllianceofSport to your profile

Start collecting badges and achieving Awards!