rhetoric of ‘empowering communities’, there remains a reluctance to invest in core
services on the ground, reflected in the increased marketisation of public services and the
‘rolling back’ of direct state intervention in rural and other areas (Doogan, 1997; Jones
and Little, 2000; Hoggart and Paniagua, 2001).
ICT-based services for job seekers have the capacity to enable recipients to develop
new skills, access information on employment and training, extend their social networks
and communicate their needs to service providers and policy makers more effectively.
Given the particular importance of social networking in rural labour markets, and the
Internet’s proven value in extending network relations (as well as providing ‘official’
information), an expansion and further development of services delivered through ICT
may offer considerable benefits in rural areas. However, efforts must be made to ensure
that investment in Internet services does not provide the justification for the withdrawal
of local facilities in remote areas. The benefits offered by ICT-based services in terms of
employability and social capital cannot be achieved without investment in technical
resources and support services at the local level.
It has been demonstrated elsewhere that where new technologies or ICT-based
services have been ‘parachuted’ into communities (whether urban or rural), with few
support services to assist disadvantaged individuals and groups, their impact has been
limited (Qvortrup, 1991; Richardson et al., 2001; Servon and Nelson, 2001). The rural
technology gap faced by unemployed job seekers can only be bridged by a combination
of policies, which prioritise the provision of on-line services, but also the development of
community-based technology centres offering both ready access and skills development
opportunities for local people. A renewed commitment to community-based facilities,
informed by an ethos of local participation, is required if excluded groups in rural areas
are to reap the undoubted benefits that ICT can deliver in terms of social and labour
market inclusion.
20