Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am has pledged to support one million young people to develop their digital, enterprise and entrepreneurial skills following the launch of the iDEA web platform.
Built on the Makewaves framework and backed by a star-studded steering board that includes actress and model Lily Cole as well as will.i.am, the iDEA platform offers an awards programme that supports young people to gain skills and boost their future employability.
The project comes from a partnership between the Nominet Trust and HRH The Duke of York, who will be present at the launch at Buckingham Palace on October 15th.
The website, which can be found at www.onemillionyoungideas.org.uk, states that the iDEA initiative will: "Inspire young people to reach for their dreams, challenging them to take the leap and follow their passion. It will reward that passion, giving young people the confidence and the skills to put their ideas into practice."
"It will foster teamwork, providing them with opportunities to meet, connect to, work with and learn from others, and it will reward young people at every stage with industry-endorsed open badges that make them more employable."
Young people using the iDEA website will be able to earn industry-endorsed Open Badges from the likes of Barclays and Mozilla, in recognition of their skills and competencies in a range of disciplines.
The platform also offers users the opportunity to enter the iDEA Competition, which will assign a mentor and £2,500 initial funding to 20 projects, with a further £15,000 on offer to the project selected by a panel of judges.
The initiative aims to engage 10,000 young people in the competition by the end of the year, and directly support 500 digital business start-ups in the next five years.
iDEA Board Member will.i.am said: "Today, digital skills incorporating computing, coding and marketing are a baseline requirement to succeed in almost every career path. Whether a young person aspires to be a fashion designer, a doctor, a solar engineer, or a musician, digital and entrepreneurial skills are essential to success."
Nick D'Aloisio, the British teenager who sold his Summly app to Yahoo!, has also put his weight behind the project as an ambassador for iDEA. He said: "It’s not just learning how to code that matters. What young people need above all is the support and advice that can get them into the mindset of becoming an entrepreneur.
"That’s what doesn’t get widely taught. And it’s why The Duke of York’s iDEA scheme is so important."
iDEA is open to young people aged 14 to 25 and new users are encouraged to sign up at: https://www.onemillionyoungideas.org.uk/join