IT education and training for disadvantage students: lessons from Europe

Across the European Union, education and training in information technology (IT) is seen as a way to move people experiencing disadvantage - such as the unemployed, people with disabilities, immigrants, marginalized women, and disadvantaged youth - into sustainable employment. All the EU member countries and the European Commission have invested heavily in IT education and training programs for these groups. This article discusses the study took place in five European countries, and concluded that for students experiencing disadvantage, IT training and education should be only one element of a much broader pedagogy. Successful programs in the countries studied - Ireland, the U.K., Finland, Italy, and Spain - used a pathway approach of interventions.