Digital Inclusion Researcher - Barnsley, Yorkshire UK

Deadine: 9 July 2009
Digital Inclusion Researcher
2 year fixed term, full-time
Salary range: £22k - £24k

The Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering & Sciences at Sheffield Hallam University is seeking to appoint a KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) Associate in collaboration with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, to be located in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

The role of the associate is to research effective strategies for digital inclusion in South Yorkshire. The successful applicant will work with four council teams (Barnsley, Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster) to evaluate and improve on existing engagement projects and develop case studies that encourage new forms of engagement. The output at the end of two years is intended to be a compelling summary of this learning to support the continuing work of the South Yorkshire councils on their Making IT Personal programme and to take the findings to a national local authority audience.

You will need good research skills and an interest in ICT. Experience of conducting both qualitative and quantitative studies is necessary, as is a track record in fieldwork involving multiple interests. Technical skills are not required, but enthusiasm for the potential of well-deployed social media, etc is fundamental to the role, as well as an interest in what motivates people to use them.

The job requires liaison between different departments across four councils as well as extensive contact with the public. You will need to work in close alignment with other projects and people working on parallel aspects of the Making IT Personal programme. You may find yourself as an informal advocate, as well as a researcher. Patience, dynamism and creative thinking will be required. Therefore we are looking for a person capable of flexible and confident communication, bringing experience of working with diverse communities. In return, we can offer extensive personal development, including registration for a higher degree, and further project-specific training.

South Yorkshire has big ambitions to become one of the most digitally enabled and aware regions in Europe - if not the world. It is investing £94m to bring next generation broadband to the whole sub-region, which will transform the economy. Plans are being developed to turn all of South Yorkshire's communities into knowledge communities, coalescing together into a South Yorkshire knowledge eco-system. Making IT Personal is the programme which will ensure that the benefits of the digital world, and of that investment, are enjoyed by all the people of South Yorkshire. The right candidate may find opportunities within Barnsley MBC or one of the other councils to continue their work when the KTP ends.

The interviews are scheduled for the 22nd July. Please send a CV and covering letter, in the first instance, to Mr Patrick Egan, Sheffield Hallam University: email p.egan@shu.ac.uk (Telephone: 0114 225 4185). Closing Date: 9th July 2009