Social Value
Capgemini Invent is bringing digital skills to underserved communities by supporting close to 2,500 people over two and a half years through a range of social value initiatives, including school outreach and employability skills programmes.
People who cannot use digital technologies are five times more likely to be unemployed, have worse health outcomes and end up paying more for everyday items than people who can go online, the government said in its 2025 Digital Inclusion Action Plan.
Digital inclusion is particularly important when it comes to the Department for Work and Pensions’ target groups, to improve their chances of finding and staying in work. The five target groups are young people aged between 16 and 24, older workers aged 55 and above, people with disabilities, people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, and prison leavers.
As part of its work with the DWP, Capgemini Invent commits to invest in and deliver social value with a sustainable impact, which leverages the firm’s strengths and aligns with the DWP’s goals. That work focuses on digital inclusion and started with staff volunteering their time in schools, to run sessions with students on STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills and careers, raising aspiration among students from low-income backgrounds.
Such was the success of this work that Capgemini Invent recruited a dedicated social value manager and began working with partner charities to reach more of the DWP’s target groups, including school leavers not in education, employment or training (NEETs) and older workers who lack digital skills.
By making the transition from measuring volunteer hours to measuring the impact of its digital inclusion work, Capgemini Invent is now reaching far more of the DWP’s priority groups and building a foundation for a more inclusive digital future, fully aligned with the DWP’s mission to support employment.
Over two and a half years, the company worked with almost 2,500 people in digital inclusion initiatives. In 2025, the company invested £60,000 to support more than 760 young people through its school outreach and employability skills programmes, and training and coaching were delivered through more than 30 workshops and programmes, with over 765 volunteer hours contributed by Capgemini Invent’s staff.
Capgemini Invent now plans to work with its charity partners to expand to Leeds and Blackpool, one of the most deprived areas of England.
As the experiences of people who have taken part have shown, gaining digital skills raises aspirations and increases the employability of young people and marginalised groups struggling to access training and stable, well-paid jobs. Reducing the barriers for NEET young people, people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, individuals with disabilities and older workers promotes equity and opportunity. For employers, inclusive hiring and in-work support fosters diversity and belonging, improving their organisational culture. And equipping more people with relevant digital qualifications and experience helps to address the shortage of STEM skills throughout the UK.
As the government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan states: “If we are to use technology to create a fairer, more prosperous country, then everyone must be able to participate.”
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